Department for Transport

Bus Services: West Midlands

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of National Express West Midlands performance on (a) fares and affordability (b) timetabling and regularity (c) access and (d) punctuality compared to other services in England via the Bus Open Data Service.

Lucy Frazer: The Department publishes Official Statistics on bus punctuality via GOV.UK. The Bus Open Data Service is a repository of bus timetable, location and fares data made openly available for analysis and consumption via a variety of methods. Each operator is independently validated for their compliance to the specific standards for each data type.

Railways: North of England

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government's commitment to build Northern Powerhouse Rail includes the infrastructure upgrades to the Sheffield to Hull line via Doncaster.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government's commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail includes the new line from Liverpool to Manchester via Central Warrington.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government's commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail includes the electrification of the line from Selby to Hull.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government's commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail includes building the HS2 Eastern leg to Leeds identified in Transport for the North's preferred network.

Kevin Foster: The Prime Minister has made clear the Government’s commitment to delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail in full, including a stop in Bradford. Plans will be set out in due course including potential opportunities for acceleration. We will engage closely with local leaders and MPs in reaching detailed decisions on the infrastructure options.The Government intends to proceed with the study announced in the Integrated Rail Plan to look at the most effective way to run HS2 trains to Leeds.

Department for Transport: Offices

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many work stations were available for civil servants to use in the headquarters of her Department on 11 October 2022.

Kevin Foster: At the Department’s main headquarters building in London there are 1668 work spaces available for use.

Transport for London: Ministerial Responsibility

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which Minister in her Department is responsible for the Government's relationship with Transport for London.

Katherine Fletcher: I am now the Minister responsible for the Government's relationship with Transport for London.

Railways: Publicity

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to encourage people to choose to travel by rail instead of by car in order to reduce demand for petrol and diesel and lower vehicle emissions.

Kevin Foster: As set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, supporting people to choose sustainable travel choices, including rail, has the potential to reduce carbon emissions and fuel demand, whilst also improving congestion and air quality. We are continuing to work with the sector to tackle the challenges that continue to face the railway as it recovers from the pandemic. We remain committed to reforming our railways, improving journeys for passengers and creating a better, more modern UK rail industry.

Aviation: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many complaints have been received by the relevant authorities on aircraft noise in Havering.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of aircraft noise in Havering.

Katherine Fletcher: My Department does not monitor individual aviation noise complaints by location; as complaints should be directed towards, and addressed by, the relevant airport. The Government sets noise-related restrictions at the noise-designated airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted) and ensures these airports assess their noise impacts on an annual basis. In the case of Heathrow Airport, the Civil Aviation Authority produces summer noise exposure contours. These inform Government of the areas most significantly affected by aircraft movements from Heathrow, and therefore those communities most likely to suffer aircraft noise-related health outcomes which should be prioritised by policy interventions. As for other airports, such as London City, restrictions are set locally, usually through the planning system. It is the responsibility of the local planning authority to conduct any necessary noise assessment and to enforce any restrictions.

Aviation: Compensation

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department took steps to discuss the Government's proposals on reform compensation for domestic flights with devolved administrations.

Katherine Fletcher: The Government is committed to protecting the rights of passengers when travelling by air. The Aviation Consumer Policy Reform Consultation aimed to collect views on a range of consumer reforms, including amendments to the level of compensation available for delayed domestic UK flights. We are now conducting a comprehensive review and analysis of responses and will set out next steps shortly. The Department for Transport has held discussions with the Devolved Administrations ahead of publication of the Aviation Consumer Policy Reform Consultation and will continue engagement going forward.

Roads: Accidents

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many traffic collisions have been recorded in Birmingham in each year starting 2015.

Katherine Fletcher: The number of reported personal injury road collisions in Birmingham are shown in the table. YearNumber of collisions20152,97020162,78720172,72420182,61420192,62320201,80220212,137

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Driving Licences

David Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the DVLA on issuing of HGV licences.

David Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential barriers faced by individuals in acquiring a HGV licence.

David Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with her European counterparts on issuing of international HGV licences.

David Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support her Department is providing to help drivers who are face delays in renewing international HGV licences.

Katherine Fletcher: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is processing straightforward HGV driving licence applications within five days and there are no delays. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is adding new capacity to its driving test booking system all the time. Tests do become available when customers move or cancel existing bookings. Candidates can also use the DVSA’s change your driving test service (www.gov.uk/change-driving-test) to check for earlier test slots. The DVSA also suggests that candidates check other nearby test centres which may have earlier dates available. The Department for Transport is also continuing to consider changes to help with recruitment to the transport industry. A number of measures were introduced in November 2021 to streamline the requirements for HGV and bus drivers. These included changes to testing, including removing the requirement to take tests in rigid vehicles before moving onto tests for articulated vehicles and trailers. The Government is aware that the costs of training can be a barrier both to new entrants and business and has invested up to £34 million to create skills bootcamps to train up to 11,000 more people to become HGV drivers. The Government is also supporting new HGV drivers through apprenticeships. By working with the industry, the Large Goods Vehicle Driver apprenticeship (for articulated lorries and supported with up to £7,000 of funding) and the Urban Driver apprenticeship (for rigid lorries and supported with up to £5,000 of funding) have been developed. The UK Government does not issue international HGV licences. Holders of an HGV licence may use that licence overseas providing the country they are driving in is signed up to the relevant international driving conventions. Drivers may choose to carry an international driving permit (IDP) to supplement the use of their driving licence when driving in another country. IDPs can be purchased over the counter at the Post Office.

Driving Instruction and Driving Tests

Rob Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to increase (a) the number of driving instructors and (b) practical driving test availability.

Katherine Fletcher: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) licenses approved driving instructors for them to provide paid tuition. To help increase practical driving test availability, the DVSA is recruiting more than 300 driving examiners across Great Britain. The DVSA’s examiner recruitment campaigns continue to be successful but, like many employers, the DVSA is finding the job market extremely competitive. As it moves through each recruitment campaign, the DVSA will continually review and make changes and improvements to its recruitment and selection process, and training courses. The DVSA is working hard to provide as many practical driving test appointments as it can, with several measures in place to do this.These include:offering a national recovery allowance and annual leave buy back to driving examiners;asking all those qualified to conduct tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests where capacity allows;conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays and weekends); andresuming the number of driving tests per day to seven for each full-time examiner.

Public Transport: Fares

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of (a) the results of Germany's recent rail ticket subsidy scheme and (b) the potential merits of applying a similar approach to public transport in the United Kingdom.

Kevin Foster: In considering any new rail fare discounts, the Government would need to carefully consider the potential benefits to passengers, costs to taxpayers and impact on the operation of the railway.  On 3 September, the Government announced plans to provide up to £60 million to help bus operators cap single fares on most services in England, outside London, at £2 per journey. The fare cap will run for three months from January to March 2023 and could help millions save on travel costs.

Southeastern Trains: Railway Stations and Timetables

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2022 to Question 59411 on Southeastern Trains: Railway Stations and Timetables, how many trains on the Bexleyheath line stop at Eltham station between 7.00am and 9.30am; and how many trains destined for (a) Charing Cross, (b) Cannon Street and (c) London Victoria will stop at Eltham station between those times after 11 December 2022.

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2022 to Question 59411 on Southeastern Trains: Railway Stations and Timetables, how many first class seats are available on London-bound trains that stop between 7.00am and 9.30am at (a) Eltham and (b) New Eltham station.

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2022 to Question 59411 on Southeastern Trains: Railway Stations and Timetables, how much extra capacity will be created by removing first class seats from London-bound trains that stop between 7.00am and 9.30am at (a) Eltham and (b) New Eltham station.

Kevin Foster: Currently on a typical weekday between 07:00 and 09:30 Eltham has nine direct services to London Charing Cross, six direct services to London Cannon Street and five direct services to London Victoria. From the 11 December on a typical weekday between 07:00 and 09:30 Eltham will have five direct services to London Charing Cross, seven direct services to London Cannon Street and five direct services to London Victoria. All train times have been uploaded to National Rail Journey Planner and can be found here: https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search First Class is not available on services calling at Eltham or New Eltham. First Class is being removed from Southeastern’s mainline services to create a modern, inclusive railway with more seats available to mainline customers. Removing First Class will provide access to an average of 60 more seats on a 12-car train.

Southeastern: Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date in 2021 her Department approved the payment of a £30,000,000 dividend by London and Southeastern Railways Ltd under the terms of its Emergency Measures Agreement.

Kevin Foster: London and South Eastern Railway Limited (LSER) were within the contractual financial ratios and the Department was not required to give approval to allow it to make the dividend payment. The dividend payment was therefore a matter for LSER and its owning group.

Railways: Carbon Emissions and Electrification

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her policy is on electrification of the Snow Hill Lines; and what steps she is taking to help deliver zero-carbon rail on those lines.

Kevin Foster: In the Transport Decarbonisation Plan the government committed to deliver a net zero rail network by 2050. To do so we will electrify additional lines and deploy battery and hydrogen trains on lines where it makes economic and operational sense.No decision has yet been taken on the approach which will be used in decarbonisation of the Snow Hill Lines.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Retail Trade: Urban Areas

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to encourage high street shopping.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government recognises that the rising cost of living has presented additional financial challenges to many consumers, reducing their spending power and impacting retail sales. Retailers have been working to help households cope with the cost of living crisis, including supporting the Cost of Living Business Tsar and Government is providing over £15 billion in Cost of Living support, bringing the total support measures announced to £37 billion this year. The Retail Sector Council continues to work on the strategic issues facing the sector and has identified the importance of high streets and place as a priority area.

Small Businesses: Supply Chains

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department are taking to support small businesses with increased costs associated with global supply chain issues.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government announced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), which will provide a price reduction to ensure that all businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. In addition, we have announced a new iteration of the Recovery Loan Scheme designed to support access to finance for UK businesses as they look to invest and grow. To support business in mitigating supply chain issues, the Government published supply chain guidance at (https://www.cpni.gov.uk/supply-chain-resilience) to help businesses establish effective control and oversight of their supply chains.

Fish: Prices

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of the cost of fish on small businesses.

Jackie Doyle-Price: No specific assessment regarding the impact of the cost of fish on small businesses has been carried out. However, we regularly engage with small businesses across the retail and hospitality sectors to understand the challenges they face. Defra also continues to monitor the price of fish and engage with businesses and stakeholders such as the National Federation of Fish Friers.

Fuel Oil

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the number of people reliant on oil for heating in (a) Midlothian constituency, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Solar Power

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential role of solar energy generation in tackling the (a) climate and (b) cost of living crisis.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Solar Power

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to increase solar energy production.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing Associations: Energy Price Guarantee

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Energy Price Guarantee will support housing associations that have fixed business electricity contracts for multi-occupancy buildings where the costs are billed to tenants alongside their rent.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Energy: Standing Charges

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of equalising standing charges in the UK to assist with tackling regional disparities in the cost of energy bills.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Fracking

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on fracking that include a requirement for operators to underwrite universal assurance schemes to compensate for any property damage incurred due to their operations.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Home Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Home Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme will be introduced; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delays to the introduction of that scheme on the number of contracts that will be agreed through it.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Shipbuilding falls within my Ministerial portfolio, and the Home Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme is a key priority for early delivery. I am bringing forward our specific proposals for the scheme to Government colleagues, with a view to updating Parliament and launching a scheme this calendar year. BEIS is not aware of any immediate lending cases that have been disadvantaged by the delay in launching the scheme.

UK Space Agency

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the UK Space Agency.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Last September, BEIS and MoD jointly published the UK’s first ever National Space Strategy, which sets out the UK’s ambitions for our space sector. In order to meet these ambitions, the Department is working with the UK Space Agency to provide strategic direction and support programme delivery, as detailed in the published UKSA Corporate Plan. Government is investing £1.75 billion through the UK Space Agency over the course of this spending review to deliver transformative space programmes.

Diseases: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much his Department has spent on (a) computing and (b) data systems used for research into the (i) diagnosis and (ii) treatment of diseases in the latest period for which data is available.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: There is no specific figure for data/compute infrastructure that is used solely for diagnostic and therapeutics research.

Food: Manufacturing Industries

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to support deregulation on food manufacturing businesses specialising in products high in fat, salt and sugar, to encourage investment from those businesses in the UK.

Dean Russell: This is not a matter for BEIS, it is for individual departments to assess the merits of deregulation in their own sectors.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to support the development of mucosal covid-19 vaccines.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department will take to support proactive, predictive immunology research into second and third generation COVID-19 vaccinations.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will be committing at least £21 million in 2023 to support major new research consortia addressing key challenges to underpin development of second and third generation COVID-19 vaccinations. These consortia will provide sustained funding to address key issues in understanding viral evolution, future variant risks, immune responses to infection and vaccination and how to drive sustained, mucosal immune responses. The consortia will be multidisciplinary and cross-institutional, will be supported for 5 years and are encouraged to engage with industry partners.

Research: Finance

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the Government’s commitment to increasing investment in UK Research and Development to 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2026-27.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government remains committed to the 2.4% target. The public research and development (R&D) spending commitments delivered at Spending Review 2021 will contribute to driving increases in private sector investment in R&D. This will support the Government’s aim of raising economic growth by boosting productivity and thus raising living standards across the country. My Hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury has confirmed that Government will abide by SR21 R&D allocations, including for Core Innovation. This will support delivery of the Innovation Strategy’s ambition to boost private sector investment in UK R&D by creating the conditions for all businesses to innovate and giving them the confidence to do so.

Horizon Europe

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his timetable is for the implementation of the alternative UK programme to Horizon Europe.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Our preference remains association to EU programmes and we continue to do everything we can to secure this, however we cannot wait indefinitely; the EU’s delays are creating significant uncertainty for our R&D communities. The Government’s priority remains to support the UK’s research and development sector through this period which is why the Government has already put in place a guarantee for eligible, successful UK applicants to Horizon Europe which we recently extended to cover all calls closing on or before 31 December 2022.On 20 July 2022, the Department set out detail on plans for transitional measures that would be implemented if association is no longer possible. The document made clear that a comprehensive package of transitional measures could be launched immediately, if needed, and would aim to provide stability and continuity of funding for UK researchers and businesses. These transitional measures would remain in place as long as it is needed to establish the long-term programme.

Horizon Europe

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his timetable is for the implementation of the alternative UK programme to Horizon Europe; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Our preference remains association to EU programmes and we continue to do everything we can to secure this, however we cannot wait indefinitely; the EU’s delays are creating significant uncertainty for our R&D communities. The Government’s priority remains to support the UK’s research and development sector through this period which is why the Government has already put in place a guarantee for eligible, successful UK applicants to Horizon Europe which we recently extended to cover all calls closing on or before 31 December 2022.On 20 July 2022, the Department set out detail on plans for transitional measures that would be implemented if association is no longer possible. The document made clear that a comprehensive package of transitional measures could be launched immediately, if needed, and would aim to provide stability and continuity of funding for UK researchers and businesses. These transitional measures would remain in place as long as it is needed to establish the long-term programme.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to support the development of mucosal covid-19 vaccines.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department will take to support proactive, predictive immunology research into second and third generation COVID-19 vaccinations.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will be committing at least £21 million in 2023 to support major new research consortia addressing key challenges to underpin development of second and third generation COVID-19 vaccinations. These consortia will provide sustained funding to address key issues in understanding viral evolution, future variant risks, immune responses to infection and vaccination and how to drive sustained, mucosal immune responses. The consortia will be multidisciplinary and cross-institutional, will be supported for 5 years and are encouraged to engage with industry partners.

Horizon Europe

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress the Government has made on the ratification of the UK’s association with the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The UK should already be part of Horizon Europe, as agreed in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). Association to Horizon Europe remains our preference and we continue to do everything we can to secure this. That is why we entered into formal consultations with the EU under the TCA. At the UK-EU Specialised Committee meeting on 22 September, which marked the end of the consultation period, the UK requested that the EU fulfil its obligation to finalise the UK’s association to Horizon Europe. Disappointingly, the EU continues to decline this request, despite association being a clear win-win and supported across the UK and European R+D sectors. The UK Government is now considering next steps. Our priority is to support the UK’s world leading R&D sector and we have already outlined potential options for doing so.

Research: Finance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken with the Treasury to help increase investment in UK Research and Development to 2.4 per cent GDP by 2026-27.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government remains committed to the 2.4% target. The public research and development (R&D) spending commitments delivered at Spending Review 2021 will contribute to driving increases in private sector investment in R&D. This will support the Government’s aim of raising economic growth by boosting productivity and thus raising living standards across the country. My Hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury has confirmed that Government will abide by SR21 R&D allocations, including for Core Innovation. This will support delivery of the Innovation Strategy’s ambition to boost private sector investment in UK R&D by creating the conditions for all businesses to innovate and giving them the confidence to do so.

Research: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that increased research and development spending attracts private investment.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: BEIS received its largest ever Research and Development (R&D) budget at SR21. We have now set out how this funding will be allocated across our partner organisations. Public sector funding already leverages private sector investment. For example, British Patient Capital, the commercial investment arm of the British Business Bank, has invested over £700 million into venture capital funds (as of June 2022), which has leveraged more than £1.4 billion of private sector investment into UK companies. However, we want to attract more private sector investment in R&D to continue driving growth. That is why the Innovation Strategy set out the steps Government is taking to create the right conditions for all businesses to invest in innovation.

Research and Science: Migrant Workers

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to support international collaboration to help UK science and research teams recruit talent from abroad.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: BEIS recognises the value of international collaborations in producing high quality research and innovation. At CSR21, BEIS secured funding to support global R&I collaborations on priority themes and with strategic partners. BEIS also co-funds (with FCDO) the Science and Innovation network across the Government’s Diplomatic footprint, promoting science, technology, research and innovation. SIN are working on MOUs with partner countries including Switzerland and Israel that include exploring talent exchange opportunities. BEIS also represents UK R&I interests in multilateral negotiations, including the G7 and G20, and UK participation in world-leading international Research Infrastructures such as CERN. BEIS also supports the Government’s visa route reforms to enable researchers to come to the UK.

Universities: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework on the time university staff spent preparing submissions.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: A review of the Research Excellence Framework 2021 is currently underway and is due to be published in 2023. The burden on researchers and other staff will be considered in the evaluation, alongside ensuring that there is sufficient information to identify and reward excellent research outputs and outcomes. The independent Review of Research Bureaucracy published its final report in July (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-research-bureaucracy). The Review made recommendations across the research system to reduce bureaucracy, including funding application processes. The Government is leading a coordinated, sector-wide effort to respond to the recommendations and implement reforms.

Horizon Europe

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, that steps he has taken to progress the ratification of the UK’s association with the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The UK should already be part of Horizon Europe, as agreed in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). Association to Horizon Europe remains our preference and we continue to do everything we can to secure this. That is why we entered into formal consultations with the EU under the TCA. At the UK-EU Specialised Committee meeting on 22 September, which marked the end of the consultation period, the UK requested that the EU fulfil its obligation to finalise the UK’s association to Horizon Europe. Disappointingly, the EU continues to decline this request, despite association being a clear win-win and supported across the UK and European R+D sectors. The UK government is now considering next steps. Our priority is to support the UK’s world leading R&D sector and we have already outlined potential options for doing so.

Novel Foods: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support her Department provides for research and development in the alternative meat sector.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Innovate UK are jointly investing at least £20 million in capacity building, research, innovation and business-led commercialisation to help develop alternative, more sustainable protein sources between 2022-2025. Additionally, part of UKRI’s transforming food production challenge, a £90 million programme, jointly funded by government and industry aimed at improving resilience, efficiency and sustainability in the UK food sector, is working to strengthen the UK’s research and capabilities in the alternative protein supply chain.

Conditions of Employment

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Good Work Plan, Cm 9755, published in 2018, whether it remains the policy of his Department to give all workers the right to request a more fixed working pattern from their employer after 26 weeks of service, as set out in that plan.

Dean Russell: The Government remains committed to introduce a right to request a more predictable contract. This right will allow a qualifying worker to make an application to change their existing working pattern if it lacks predictability in terms of hours they are required to work, the times they are required to work, and / or the duration of their contract.

Re-employment

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals on a new statutory code on the practice of dismissal and re-engagement.

Dean Russell: The Government has been absolutely clear that using dismissal and re-engagement as a negotiating tactic is unacceptable, and we expect companies to treat their employees fairly. When the pandemic brought attention to cases of dismissal and re-engagement, we asked Acas to conduct an evidence-gathering exercise to help us better understand the issue. Government then went further and asked Acas to produce new guidance to ensure that employers are clear on their responsibilities. This guidance was published in 2021. We will set out next steps in this policy area in due course.

Strike Ballots

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the ability for workers to go on strike under proposals to raise ballot thresholds from 40 per cent to 50 per cent of employees.

Dean Russell: Any change to ballot thresholds would require primary legislation. There will therefore be ample opportunities for Members of Parliament to scrutinise any proposals the Government brings forward in this area.

Parental Leave

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the debate on Employment Law: Devolution to Scotland on 6 September 2022, Official Report, column 51WH, whether his Department has set targets for the use of the shared parental leave scheme by parents.

Dean Russell: In the original Impact Assessment before SPL was introduced, we estimated take-up to be in the range of 2% to 8%. We have not updated these estimates. The evaluation of the Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Pay scheme, which we will publish in due course, will include an up-to-date estimate of take-up.

Conditions of Employment: Parents

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 9 February 2021 to Question 146754 on Conditions of Employment: Parents, when he plans to publish the 2019 Maternity and Paternity Rights Survey.

Dean Russell: As part of the evaluation of the Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Pay scheme we have undertaken large, representative, surveys of employers and parents and a qualitative study of parents who have taken SPL.The reports and data from all of the research we have commissioned – including the Maternity and Paternity Rights Survey – will be published in due course, alongside the evaluation report itself.

Parental Leave

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to ensure parents on parental leave are adequately supported on their return to the workplace.

Dean Russell: Existing parental leave rights give employees who have taken parental leave the right to return to the same or similar job. For example, a woman has the right to return to the same job after ordinary maternity leave (the first 26 weeks of leave). The Government has committed, when Parliamentary time allows, to extend redundancy protections into a period of return to work for particular forms of parental leave. The Government announced a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) returners programme on International Women's Day to encourage those who have taken breaks to care for others back into STEM, building on previous Government returner initiatives.

Conditions of Employment

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to provide employees identical rights from their first day of employment as someone has worked for 2 years for the same employer.

Dean Russell: The current qualifying periods for employment rights contribute to jobs creation and economic growth through giving businesses more confidence when they consider taking on people. They also give more time to get the employment relationship right. The Government has no plans to change policy.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Offices

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many work stations were available for civil servants to use within his Department on 11 October 2022.

Dean Russell: The number of workstations available for civil servants to use on 11 October 2022 at the Department’s main London building at 1 Victoria Street was 2492.

Wind Power: Migrant Workers

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he last held discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential effect of the Offshore Wind Workers Immigration Rules Concession 2017 on (a) jobs and (b) skills in the offshore wind industry.

Graham Stuart: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any discussions with my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the issues set out since taking up his position at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Wind Power: Migrant Workers

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of foreign nationals that were employed on offshore wind (a) construction and (b) maintenance projects in UK waters in each year since 2017.

Graham Stuart: The Department does not record this data. The Office for National Statistics publishes annually the number of jobs in offshore wind, with the last data relating to 2020[1]. [1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/datasets/lowcarbonandrenewableenergyeconomyfirstestimatesdataset

Multiple Occupation: Energy Bills Rebate

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing payments through the Energy Bills Support Scheme to people living in (a) bedsits within another dwelling and (b) houses of multiple occupancy that have a shared energy bill.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Bills Support Scheme is delivering a £400 non-repayable government discount to British households with a domestic electricity meter over six months from October to March to help 29 million households with energy bills over the winter. On 29 July, the Government announced funding for alternative support to help households which are ineligible for this scheme. The details for this will be announced later. The Energy Price Guarantee has also been recently introduced by the government. It is automatic and applies to all households and provides further help in dealing with the challenges of high energy bills over the next two years.

Energy: Meters

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of households have a smart meter in each region of the UK as of 12 October 2022.

Graham Stuart: The Government’s official statistics on the proportion of households with smart meters are based on data from energy suppliers and are held for Great Britain only. The Government’s official statistics on the rollout of smart meters are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/smart-meters-statistics. The rollout is making good progress, with more than half of energy meters in Great Britain now smart. At end June 2022 there were 29.5 million smart and advanced meters in homes and small businesses across Great Britain, including 27.8 million smart meters in domestic properties.

Small Businesses: Energy

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has taken recent steps to help support small business switch from fixed rate to variable rate energy contracts without penalties; and if he will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: Small businesses who have energy supply contracts with a fixed-rate (agreed on or after 1 April 2022 irrespective if the contract has commenced before 1st October 2022) or a standard variable rate will receive support through the government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme. Charges for switching tariffs are a commercial matter between suppliers and their business customers.

Energy Bills Rebate

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to provide energy bill support for the two year duration of the energy price guarantee to households such as those living in park homes or on heat networks who do not buy mains gas and electricity directly.

Graham Stuart: Households in Great Britain that are eligible for these payments will receive £100 as a credit on their electricity bill this winter. Households who are eligible for, but do not receive Alternative Fuel Payment or the £100 heat network payment, because they do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier for example, will receive the £100 via the Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund, which will be provided by a designated body. The Government will confirm details of the AFP Alternative Fund shortly.

Energy: Private Rented Housing

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of private renter households who are eligible for retrofit grants under (a) Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery scheme, Phase 2 and (b) the ECO4 scheme, as of 22 September 2022.

Graham Stuart: a) Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery scheme, Phase 2:According to the 2020 English Housing Survey (EHS), there were 4.47 million privately rented households in 2020. 35% (1.57 million) would have been eligible for LAD Phase 2, as they had an EPC rating of D or below and an income below £30,000. (b) The ECO4 scheme:ECO has been in place since January 2013 and has delivered around 3.5 million measures in 2.4 million homes. The ECO4 final stage Impact Assessment estimates around 430,000 private rented sector homes would be eligible for ECO4.

Energy Bills Rebate

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of making multiple Energy Bills Support Scheme payments to households that have more than one energy supplier.

Graham Stuart: Eligibility for EBSS payment is determined on the basis of a Domestic Customer who is party to a Domestic Supply Contract or a Deemed Contract for electricity supply which relates to a Domestic Premises. Only one Domestic Customer per Domestic Supply Contract or Deemed Contract per Domestic Premises is considered an eligible customer. There may be highly limited supply meters and separate contracts with domestic electricity suppliers, however, these circumstances were considered so rare as to not requiring specific consideration.

Fuel Oil: Government Assistance

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will provide support to domestic users of home heating oil; and if he will set out plans for providing that support before 9 November 2022.

Graham Stuart: Households not on standard gas or electricity contracts, such as those off-grid, will receive equivalent support to that provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, and the Energy Price Guarantee. The Government is working to determine the most practical and tested routes to deliver this support. For households who do not use gas for domestic heating, the Government has committed to provide an additional payment of £100 to compensate for the rising costs of other fuels, such as heating oil.

Fracking

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the Urgent Question of 22 September 2022 on Shale Gas Extraction, Official Report, column 806, what the evidential basis is for his statement that some of the opposition to fracking has been funded by Mr Putin’s regime.

Graham Stuart: In response to the Urgent Question, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State said, “I am well aware that there have been objections to fracking, but I would also note that there have been stories, widely reported, that some of the opposition to fracking has been funded by Mr Putin’s regime.” Various claims have been made regarding attempts by malicious actors to mispresent the operations and impact of shale gas, which have been widely reported.

Heating: Government Assistance

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure households who rely for heating and hot water on (a) district biomass, (b) domestic biomass and (c) solid fuel will receive the planned off-grid energy support during Winter 2022.

Graham Stuart: The Alternative Fuel Payment will provide a one-off payment to UK households that use alternative fuels for heating. This will come in addition to the £400 provided by the Energy Bills Support Scheme, and a further £800 of one-off support provided to eight million of the most vulnerable households to help with the cost of living. The Government will continue to monitor the prices of alternative fuels and will consider further intervention if required to protect UK households from extraordinary fuel prices.

Scottish Limited Partnerships

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what (a) the value, and (b) number of fines levied have been levied against Scottish Limited Partnerships for failing to register a Person of Significant Control in each month since the relevant regulations came into force.

Dean Russell: One fine has been levied against a Scottish Limited Partnership for failing to register people with significant control since the Scottish Partnerships (Register of People with Significant Control) Regulations 2017 came into force. That fine was levied in the 2021/2022 Financial Year. A fine of £210 was imposed by the court.

Attorney General

Ministry of Justice: Monitoring

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Attorney General, what processes his Department has in place to (a) record and (b) monitor undertakings made by (i) the Treasury Solicitor and (ii) other Ministers and officials in his Department.

Michael Tomlinson: The Law Officers are responsible fot eht oversight of the Law Officers' departments, namely the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), His Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) and the Government Legal Department (GLD), as well as the Attorney General's Office.In the case of the CPS and the SFO, the relationship with those bodies is provided for in statute and is described as "superintendence", and both are underpinned by Framework Agreements published on Gov.uk. Oversight of the GLD is underpinned by a Framework Agreement, and by a protocol in the case of HMCPSI.The Treasury Solicitor is the Permanent Secretary of the GLD and the GLD's own guidance in respect of undertakings is to "avoid giving undertakings unless strictly necessary", and that if it is absolutely necessary to give an undertaking, GLD lawyers should do so only in accordance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority's Code of Conduct 2011.

Department of Health and Social Care

Evusheld

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she expects the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to conclude its appraisal of Evusheld.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Slough constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Breast Cancer: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Slough constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

HIV Infection: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with HIV in (a) York and (b) York Central constituency in each of the last 5 five years.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Midwives: Lancaster and Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of midwives in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Lancaster and Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Ealing North

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Ealing North constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of residential care homes that have closed in Slough constituency.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Life Expectancy: Lancaster and Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of life expectancy in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Diabetes: Lancaster and Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Slough constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children under the age of (a) four and (b) 11 were admitted to hospital for a tooth extraction due to decay in (a) York and (b) York Central constituency in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Lancaster and Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of mental health specialists in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Bradford South

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP practices that were open in Bradford South constituency (a) in 2013 and (b) on 14 October 2022.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of residential care homes that have closed in Wirral South constituency since December 2019.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Bradford South

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of GP appointments there were in Bradford South constituency in (a) the last 12 months and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Wirral South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Bradford South

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of GP appointments that were conducted face-to-face in Bradford South constituency in (a) the last 12 months and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Wirral South constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Walsall South

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Walsall South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Wirral South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Wirral South

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Walsall South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Walsall South

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Walsall South constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Eating Disorders: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support young people with eating disorders in Wirral South constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Eating Disorders: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support young people with eating disorders in Slough constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Life Expectancy: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of healthy life expectancy in the Easington constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in the Easington constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Eating Disorders: Chesterfield

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support young people with eating disorders in Chesterfield constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Breast Cancer: Chesterfield

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Chesterfield constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Chesterfield

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Chesterfield constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Chesterfield

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Chesterfield constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospital Beds: Isle of Wight

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of her Plan for Patients on hospital bed capacity on the Isle of Wight.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of residential care homes that have closed in Worsley and Eccles South constituency since 2019.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Ealing North

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Ealing North constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Bradford South

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will make an estimate of the number of full-time equivalent and fully qualified GPs, excluding GPs in a training grade, that were practising in Bradford South constituency (a) on 14 October 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria: Screening

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce geographical variation in testing rates for non-tuberculosis mycobacteria in England.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Bradford South

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Bradford South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria: Medical Treatments

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of access to innovative treatments for people living with non-tuberculosis mycobacteria in the UK.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Weaver Vale

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE Fully qualified GPs, excluding GPs in Training Grade, practicing in Weaver Vale constituency on (a) 12 October 2022 and (b) what the number was in 2013.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Malnutrition: Ealing North

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of malnutrition in Ealing North constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps her Department has taken to help tackle health inequality in (a) York and (b) York Central constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of residential care homes that have closed in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough Constituency since 2010.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Breast Cancer: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Wirral South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Wirral South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Isle of Wight

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of her Plan for Patients on the availability of dental services on the Isle of Wight.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental services in Wirral South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Wirral South constituency in the past 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to provide additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help reduce (i) patient backlogs and (ii) workloads in GP surgeries in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Midwives: Bristol East

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of midwives in Bristol East constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Bristol East

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided additional (a) financial and (b) other support to help tackle (i) patient backlogs and (ii) increased workloads in GP surgeries in Bristol East constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Arikayce Liposomal: Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Arikayce liposomal will be made available on the NHS for patients with non-tuberculosis mycobacteria; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in the Easington constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Life Expectancy: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of healthy life expectancy in (a) York and (b) York Central constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: County Durham

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department are taking to increase the number of dentists accepting NHS Patients in County Durham.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Ealing North

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of dental practices were rated as good by the Care Quality Commission in Ealing North constituency as of 13 October 2022.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Ilford North

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase the availability of face-to-face GP appointments in Ilford North constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Eating Disorders: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support young people with eating disorders in the Easington constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pharmacy: Isle of Wight

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans her Department has to expand the range of services available from pharmacies on the Isle of Wight; and what assessment she has made of the potential effect of her proposals for the range of services provided by pharmacies on public healthcare provision on the Isle of Wight.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Wirral South

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to mental health services in Wirral South constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Chesterfield

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to mental health services in Chesterfield.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Sunderland Central

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Sunderland Central constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Malnutrition: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of malnutrition in (a) York and (b) York Central constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Eating Disorders: Sunderland Central

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support young people with eating disorders in Sunderland Central constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Breast Cancer: Sunderland Central

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the uptake of breast cancer screening in Sunderland Central constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Sunderland Central

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the NHS dentist provision in Sunderland Central constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps her Department has taken to help tackle health inequality in the Easington constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ambulance Services: Isle of Wight

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of her Plan for Patients on access to ambulances on the Isle of Wight.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Sunderland Central

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve access to mental health services in Sunderland Central constituency.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Podiatry: Kingston upon Hull East

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the level of podiatry vacancy rates in the NHS in Kingston upon Hull East constituency as of 12 October 2022; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of these vacancies on patient treatment for diabetic foot complications.

Robert Jenrick: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Services: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of social care capacity in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Neil O'Brien: No specific assessment has been made. Local authorities’ have a responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to ensure that the care needs of the local population are met.

Social Services: Warrington North

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of social care capacity in Warrington North constituency.

Neil O'Brien: No specific assessment has been made. Local authorities’ have a responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to ensure that the care needs of the local population are met.

Social Services: Bradford South

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of social care capacity in Bradford South constituency.

Neil O'Brien: No specific assessment has been made. Local authorities’ have a responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to ensure that the care needs of the local population are met.

Social Services: Wirral South

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of social care capacity in Walsall South constituency.

Neil O'Brien: No specific assessment has been made. Local authorities’ have a responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to ensure that the care needs of the local population are met.

Department of Health and Social Care: Ministerial Changes

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if it is her intention to appoint a Minister for Care.

Neil O'Brien: I have responsibility for adult social care.

Continuing Care

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) patients and family members are fully involved in the process of Continuing Health Care Assessments and (b) assessors take full account of all relevant factors in a Continuing Health Care Assessment.

Neil O'Brien: NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) assessments and reviews should focus on the individual's needs and follow a person-centred approach. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for undertaking CHC assessments, with oversight from NHS England. The National Framework for CHC states that practitioners should make all reasonable efforts to seek the individual’s participation, or that of a representative or family member, during each stage of the assessment and review process.

Incontinence: Medical Equipment

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the level inflation on the affordability of continence products for unpaid carers.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the availability of continence products for unpaid carers; and what steps he is taking to review financial support for that purpose.

Neil O'Brien: No specific assessment has been made. In July 2018, NHS England published ‘Excellence in Continence Care’ which collates evidence-based resources and research for guidance for commissioners, providers, health and social care staff, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/excellence-in-continence-care/NHS England is planning an assessment of adherence to ‘Excellence in Continence Care’, and its pandemic recovery and restoration plans include continence services. NHS England has also established the National Bladder and Bowel Health Project to improve continence care.

Dementia: North Staffordshire

Aaron Bell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of diagnostic hubs in diagnosing dementia in North Staffordshire.

Neil O'Brien: In August 2022, dementia diagnosis rate in North Staffordshire was 69.4%, which exceeds the mental health constitutional target of 66.7% and the national diagnostic rate. This is monitored through the monthly assurance cycle, in partnership between Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board and NHS England. The North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust reports that 100% of its staff felt the hub model increased their knowledge and skills. Allowing trained senior nursing staff to deliver diagnoses has also improved continuity of care.

Care Homes: Ilford North

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of residential care homes that have closed in Ilford North constituency since (a) 2019 and (b) 2020.

Neil O'Brien: There have been no permanent closures of care homes in Ilford North since 2019. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) records care homes which have closed as ‘deactivated’. While there are three locations which were initially ‘deactivated’, these are now registered by the CQC as being active and continue to operate under a new provider or a changed address.

Dementia: Health Services

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Answer of 26 September to Question 49591, how many civil servants were allocated to work on the delivery of the National Dementia Mission between 2009 and 2021; and how many civil servants will be allocated to work on the delivery of the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission.

Neil O'Brien: There was no National Dementia Mission between 2009 and 2021. Resourcing plans for the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission are underway.

Dementia: Health Services

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with local health systems on returning dementia care plan reviews to pre-pandemic levels.

Neil O'Brien: There have been no specific discussions.

Social Services: Recruitment

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce barriers to entry in to the care sector for (a) UK and (b) international applicants.

Neil O'Brien: Training or qualification requirements for entry into the care sector for United Kingdom applicants apply only to regulated professionals. Employers can access free and fast-track Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and barred list checks for covid-19 related recruitment, and DBS continue to operate the Adult First Check service for the care sector.On 15 February 2022 care workers were added to the Health and Care Visa and the Shortage Occupation List, enabling these roles to be recruited from overseas. The Government also announced on 22 September 2022 that it would invest £15 million in a fund to boost international recruitment of care workers. The fund will be launched shortly.

Social Services: Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of social care capacity in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough Constituency.

Neil O'Brien: No specific assessment has been made. Local authorities have a responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to ensure that the care needs of the local population are met.

HIV Infection: Drugs

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to make fostemsavir available for the treatment of people with multi-drug resistant HIV.

Robert Jenrick: NHS England has developed a national clinical commissioning policy proposition for Fostemsavir for the treatment of multi-drug resistant HIV-1 infection. The proposition was submitted for stakeholder testing in February 2022 and was considered in the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group’s (CPAG) relative prioritisation meeting in July 2022.NHS England will decide whether this intervention will be available on the National Health Service on the basis of the CPAG’s recommendation and level of funding available for investment. A decision is expected shortly.

Muscular Dystrophy: Medical Treatments

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason people with muscular dystrophy LGMD-E2 are not entitled to antiviral treatment under the Government’s antiviral treatments protocol.

Robert Jenrick: Clinically eligible cohorts have been determined by an independent expert group commissioned by the Department and included in a clinical policy agreed by the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers. The cohorts include patients whose immune systems mean they are at higher risk of COVID-19, such as organ transplant patients or those recently undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This policy was based on evidence that certain health conditions can make a patient much more likely to progress to severe disease. As a result, these patients could benefit the most from these novel medications. People with muscular dystrophy are not currently identified as part of this eligible cohort.The Therapeutics Clinical Review Pane, which was established to focus on at-risk patient cohorts that could be eligible for COVID-19 therapies, including providing advice on cohorts, can consider specific queries from clinicians and patient groups supported by clinicians, including on eligibility and conditions like muscular dystrophy.

Joint Replacements: West Yorkshire

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions she has had with NHS Trusts in West Yorkshire on commissioning temporomandibular joint replacement surgery services.

Robert Jenrick: There have been no specific discussions. West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board is responsible for the commissioning of temporomandibular joint replacement surgery services.

Health Services: Females

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Women's Health Strategy published on 30 August 2022, what discussions she has had with NHS England on increasing the representation of women from a wide range of backgrounds at senior levels across the health and care system.

Robert Jenrick: We have regular discussions with NHS England on a range of issues. The Government accepted the seven recommendations made in ‘Leadership for a collaborative and inclusive future’, published June 2022, This includes positive equality, diversity and inclusion action in health and social care to enforce existing equal opportunity and fairness measures, such as increasing the representation of under-represented groups in training and development opportunities and in senior roles.The NHS Confederation’s Health and Care Women Leaders Network aims to empower women working in health and care to secure senior and board level positions and challenge bias against women in the workplace. The NHS Confederation report that the proportion of women on National Health Service boards has increased to 44.7%.The NHS People Plan sets out targeted action to promote equality, including reforming recruitment and promotion practices to increase under-represented groups at senior levels. NHS England has established six regional talent boards in England to improve the diversity of leadership at senior levels. In addition, NHS England is increasing representation of women at senior levels, through tackling the gender pay gap.

North Tees and Hartlepool Hospitals NHS Trust: Staff

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for a list of staff shortages for each department at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust.

Robert Jenrick: The information requested is not held centrally.

Surgery: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in (a) York and (b) York Central constituency in the past 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Surgery: Ealing North

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Ealing North in the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Nurses: Temporary Employment

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total number of shifts covered by (a) agency and (b) bank nurses was in NHS England in each of the last five years.

Robert Jenrick: Total number of shifts for bank and agency nurses by year are set out below. Data for bank shifts in 2017/18 is not included as the collection of this data began in 2018/19.YearBank shiftsAgency shifts2017/18Data not collected1,938,2382018/194,447,4912,175,2212019/204,767,3972,320,3072020/214,874,3581,952,4812021/225,168,6342,252,400 The number of full-time equivalent nurses employed directly in Hospital and Community Health Service and General Practice settings has increased by 29,110 (9.7%) since September 2019. To reduce unnecessary expenditure on agency staff in the NHS, in 2015 NHS England introduced measures to bring agency spending under control. Measures involved the introduction of price caps limiting the amount a Trust can pay to an agency for temporary staff. Since then, total spend on agency staffing has fallen by c.£1.2bn per year, from a peak of £3.6bn in 2015/16 to £2.4bn at the end of 20/21.

Midwives: Training

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the cost of training a student midwife is paid by (a) the student, (b) her Department and (c) other sources.

Robert Jenrick: The information requested is not held centrally. Such costs will vary by training institution. The Department provides funding via the NHS Learning Support Fund for eligible students. This includes a training grant of £5,000 per year, with further financial support available for childcare of £2,000 per year, travel and dual accommodation costs and access to an exceptional support fund of up to £3,000 per year.

NHS: Putney

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps her Department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in Putney constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention, including in Putney.

Surgery: Streatham

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Streatham constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ how the National Health Service will recover and expand elective services over the next three years, including in Streatham. We have allocated more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25, in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund already made available in 2021/2022 to increase elective activity. This funding aims to deliver the equivalent of approximately nine million additional checks and procedures and 30% further elective activity by 2024/25 than pre-pandemic levels. A proportion of this funding will be invested in workforce capacity and training and we have committed to invest £5.9 billion for new beds, equipment and technology.The target to eliminate waiting times of two years or more for elective procedures was met in July 2022 and we aim to eliminate waiting time of eighteen months or more by April 2023. This will be achieved through increasing capacity, seeking alternate capacity in other trusts or the independent sector and engaging with patients to understand choices made regarding their care.

Surgery: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Nottingham South constituency.

Robert Jenrick: The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ how the National Health Service will recover and expand elective services over the next three years, including in Nottingham South. We have allocated more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25, in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund already made available in 2021/2022 to increase elective activity. This funding aims to deliver the equivalent of approximately nine million additional checks and procedures and 30% further elective activity by 2024/25 than pre-pandemic levels. A proportion of this funding will be invested in workforce capacity and training and we have committed to invest £5.9 billion for new beds, equipment and technology.The target to eliminate waiting times of two years or more for elective procedures was met in July 2022 and we aim to eliminate waiting time of eighteen months or more by April 2023. This will be achieved through increasing capacity, seeking alternate capacity in other trusts or the independent sector and engaging with patients to understand choices made regarding their care.

Muscular Dystrophy: Research

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 September 2022 to Question 51448 on Muscular Dystrophy: Research, whether the National Institute for Health and Care Research has plans to undertake research into the (a) cause of and (b) potential treatments for (i) Distal Myopathy-5 and (ii) ADSSL1 Myopathy.

Robert Jenrick: It is not usual practice for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and other research funders to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics. Research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. Research into the cause of and potential treatments for Distal Myopathy-5 and ADSSL1 Myopathy would be subject to a successful bid for the NIHR’s research funding.

Health: Research

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the comparative level of funding for research into (a) physical and (b) mental health.

Robert Jenrick: The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health. However, it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.The following table shows expenditure on research on physical health and mental health in each of the last three years. This expenditure refers to a range of research, including studies on health service provision and public health and also research into specific treatments. 2019/202020/212021/22Physical health£855,317,799£836,277,951£976,485,697Mental health£91,049,739£109,099,902£120,895,907

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Medical Treatments

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she expects the MHRA to conclude its review of the use of MAGnetic Expansion Control (MAGEC) rods.

Robert Jenrick: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is reviewing the use of MAGnetic Expansion Control rods and additional actions as advised by its independent Expert Advisory Group. The MHRA aims to ensure risks are reduced before considering whether the suspension can be lifted.

NHS: Greater London

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to help tackle NHS workforce shortages in healthcare trusts in southeast London.

Robert Jenrick: The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention, including in south east London.

Midwives

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the age profile of the NHS midwifery workforce in (a) England and (b) each NHS region of England (i) for the most recent month for which figures are available and (ii) in the same month in (A) 2010 and (B) 2015.

Robert Jenrick: The following table shows the headcount number of midwives working in National Health Service hospital trusts and commissioning bodies in England by age band in June 2010, June 2015 and June 2022. June 2010June 2015June 2022All age bands24,10825,71126,181Under 25 years old7911,2821,76425 to 34 years old4,4885,9057,53235 to 44 years old7,0036,1626,75845 to 54 years old8,8978,7645,65655 to 64 years old2,7973,4164,17465 years old and over132182297 Source: NHS Digital Hospital and Community Health Service Workforce StatisticsA table showing the age profile of NHS midwives by region is attached. Attachment (xlsx, 19.9KB)

Sickle Cell Diseases: Training

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that medical trainees receive specialist practical training to treat people with sickle cell disease in (a) London and (b) the South East.

Robert Jenrick: Each medical school sets its own undergraduate curriculum, which must meet the standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC) in its Outcomes for Graduates. The GMC would expect that, in fulfilling these standards, newly qualified doctors are able to identify, treat and manage any care needed, including relating to sickle cell disease.Recent improvements have also been made to the postgraduate haematology medical curriculum, with understanding sickle cell disease and thalassemia now described in the curriculum as core competencies.Additional training is also available for medical trainees across England, including London and the South East, to receive specialist training to treat people with sickle cell disease. This includes an e-learning programme delivered by Health Education England which has specific courses such as the NHS Screening Programme and includes the sickle cell and thalassaemia Screening Programme.

Travel: Quarantine

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with providers of managed quarantine hotels for travellers returning to the UK on ensuring adequate processing times for refund requests.

Dr Caroline Johnson: The Department of Health and Social Care’s Managed Quarantine Service (MQS) ended on 15 December 2021 when all countries were removed from the United Kingdom’s “red list”.Corporate Travel Management (CTM) managed the booking system for MQS, taking payments from travellers and booking their rooms in MQS hotels across the UK.Where a refund is due, the aim is to process this within 20 working days, though occasionally more information is required, which can cause delays. There are a very small number of refunds that are being processed, which we are aiming to action as quickly as possible. Customers are advised to contact UKHSA if they believe that they are still awaiting a refund so that this can be investigated.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to hold regular discussions with CTM on a range of issues.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Railways

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department spent on first class train travel for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants in (i) 2020, (i) 2021 and (iii) 2022.

David T C Davies: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales spent the following on first class train travel for (a) ministers (b) civil servants in 2020, 2021 and 2022 (to the end of September). Spend on First Class Train Travel (£) 2020 20212022   Ministers6,846.7512,055.155,059.15Civil Servants399.00-77.45Total7,245.7512,055.155,136.60

Uk Shared Prosperity Fund: Wales

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential benefits of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for Wales.

Sir Robert Buckland: I have regular discussions with Ministerial colleagues on how Wales’ £585 million share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will level up communities across Wales.With local authorities, businesses, the third sector and civil society fully engaged, the UKSPF will mean quicker delivery, better targeting and closer alignment with local priorities than previous EU funding.

Department for Education

Schools: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Slough constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings have been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 September 2022 to Question 51633 on Schools: Solar Power, how many school buildings in Slough constituency were inspected as part of the CDC Survey.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme and plan to publish the details by the end of the year.The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.The Department has no plans to make a statement.

Schools: West Lancashire

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much was spent on improvements to school buildings in West Lancashire constituency in the period between 1 January 2022 and 31 March 2022.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department has allocated over £13 billion in condition funding since 2015 for improving the condition of school buildings, including £1.8 billion in the 2021/22 financial year.Schools and those responsible for school buildings receive condition funding through different routes depending upon their size and type. Local authorities, large academy trusts and large voluntary aided bodies receive school condition allocations (SCA) to invest in their schools. In addition, devolved formula capital (DFC) is allocated for individual schools and other eligible institutions to spend on capital projects that meet their own priorities.As investment of these allocations is determined at a local level, and many responsible bodies, such as large academy trusts, cut across local boundaries, it is not possible to break total spend down to constituency level. However, allocations of SCA and DFC for the 2021/22 financial year can be accessed here: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20210701004626/https:/www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding#funding-allocations-for-the-2021-to-2022-financial-year.Schools not part of bodies eligible for SCA are instead eligible to bid to the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF). Annual bidding rounds for CIF are launched in the autumn and the outcomes are announced in the following spring. CIF funding is released in phased payments as work progresses. For CIF, the Department does not track monthly expenditure by constituency. The Department publishes final CIF funding amounts on individual projects only once all projects in an annual round have completed, for commercial reasons.In addition to allocations, the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) will rebuild or refurbish buildings at 500 schools over the next decade. 161 schools have been confirmed to date and details, including contract values once available ,are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-2022-to-2023-approved-schools.

Renewable Energy: Schools

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will introduce specific funding to support schools with installing renewable electricity generation schemes on their estate.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department continues to work with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to help education settings access the £1.4 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. From October this year, up to £635 million has been made available through Phase 3B of the scheme for installing low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures in public buildings, with a minimum of 30% going to education settings. This will help to cut emissions and save on energy bills.Since 2015, the Department has allocated over £13 billion in capital funding to improve the condition of school buildings, which can support improvements to energy efficiency. In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme will transform 500 schools over the next decade, with all new buildings being net zero carbon in operation. They will achieve this, in part by installing electricity generation on their estate. Any new funding will be determined at future fiscal events.

Department of Education: Staff

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) full time equivalent employees and (b) employees by headcount there are at each of the executive non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible as of 14 October 2022.

Jonathan Gullis: The table below provides details on the number of employees for each of the Department’s executive non-departmental public bodies as at 14 October 2022.BodyNumber of employees (Full Time Equivalent)Number of employees (Headcount)Construction Industry Training Board613627Engineering Construction Industry Training Board81.383Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education289.06295LocatED5154Oak National Academy34.1835Office for Students368398Office of the Children’s Commissioner3334Social Work England240.8254Student Loans Company3,1033,241

National Tutoring Programme: Canterbury

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding has been distributed through the National Tutoring Programme in Canterbury in each month since that programme was launched.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department does not hold information on Tuition Partners or Academic Mentors in the required format at constituency level.School-led tutoring grant allocations by school and local authority for the academic year 2021 to 2022 have been published at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1071234/School_Led_Funding_Publication_File_flat_values_v1.odsPayment information relating to School-Led Tutoring for the academic year 2021 to 2022 will be published by the ESFA once the reconciliation process has been completed for that period.School-led tutoring grant allocations for the academic year 2022 to 2023 have been published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-tutoring-programme-ntp-allocations-for-2022-to-2023-academic-year.Between November 2020 and June 2022, over 2 million tuition courses were started. The Government has committed more than £1 billion to support tutoring over academic years 2020 to 2023/24, during which we aim to offer up to six million tutoring courses.

Academies

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date in December 2022 he expects to publish the final report of the Academies Regulation and Commissioning Review.

Jonathan Gullis: The work of the Academies Regulation and Commissioning Review continues and aims to report back later this year. The Review, informed by the External Advisory Group and close engagement with sector representatives, will recommend short and medium-term steps. These will ensure a schools system, in which all schools are part of strong Multi Academy Trusts, is underpinned by a regulatory and commissioning approach that will drive quality at scale, command the confidence of parents and support improved outcomes for children.

National Tutoring Programme: Stockton North

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding was (a) allocated and (b) spent in Stockton North through the National Tutoring Programme in each month since it was launched.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department does not hold information on Tuition Partners or Academic Mentors at constituency level.School-led tutoring grant allocations by school and local authority have been published. Information relating to the academic year 2021 to 2022 is available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1071234/School_Led_Funding_Publication_File_flat_values_v1.ods.Information relating to the academic year 2022 to 2023 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-tutoring-programme-ntp-allocations-for-2022-to-2023-academic-year.Payment information relating to School-Led Tutoring for the academic year 2021 to 2022, will be published by the Education and Skills Funding Agency once the reconciliation process has been completed for that period.Between November 2020 and June 2022, over 2 million tuition courses were started. The Government has committed more than £1 billion to support tutoring over academic years 2020 to 2023/24, during which we aim to offer up to six million tutoring courses.

National Tutoring Programme: Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to the public purse of the National Tutoring Programme has been in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency in each month since its launch.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department does not hold information on Tuition Partners or Academic Mentors at constituency level.School-led tutoring grant allocations by school and local authority have been published. Information relating to the academic year 2021 to 2022 is available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1071234/School_Led_Funding_Publication_File_flat_values_v1.ods.Payment information relating to School-Led Tutoring for the academic year 2021 to 2022, will be published by the Education and Skills Funding Agency once the reconciliation process has been completed for that period.Information relating to the academic year 2022 to 2023 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-tutoring-programme-ntp-allocations-for-2022-to-2023-academic-year.Between November 2020 and June 2022, over 2 million tuition courses were started. The Government has committed more than £1 billion to support tutoring over academic years 2020 to 2023/24, during which we aim to offer up to six million tutoring courses.

Further Education: Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to address repairs backlogs in further education colleges in Sheffield.

Andrea Jenkyns: The Further Education Capital Transformation Programme is delivering the £1.5 billion manifesto commitment to upgrade further education (FE) college estates.Through this programme, £200 million was allocated to all FE colleges and designated institutions to undertake immediate remedial work and upgrade the condition of their estates. The Sheffield College received an allocation of £2 million of capital funding to improve their estate in August 2020.The next stage of the programme of investment to upgrade the FE estate is due to be announced later this year.

Forced Marriage

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how his Department is working with the Forced Marriage Unit to safeguard children from early and forced marriage in preparation for the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 coming into force in March 2023.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department is working closely with the Ministry of Justice, as sponsor department for the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022. We are also working with the joint Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) to ensure schools and children’s social care providers are made aware of the change in the law.Keeping children safe in education statutory guidance sets out the role all school staff play in safeguarding children, including information for staff on what forced marriage is, as well as signposting to further help from the government’s FMU.

Children in Care: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact that the cost of living crisis on the number of children entering care in the North East.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department monitors the situation of the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. We maintain regular contact and work closely with local authorities in the North East to recognise and understand the children in care numbers.The department’s sector-led improvement programme continues to support long-term improvement in children’s social care, with 68 local authorities having already received support, including five in the North East.As local authorities grapple with competing priorities, including any impact of the cost of living on families and services, the department will continue to focus on helping keep children safe.

Childcare: Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an estimate of the sufficiency of childcare provision in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department continues to monitor the sufficiency of childcare. The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents and children. Ofsted data currently shows that the number of places offered by providers on the Early Years Register has remained broadly stable at 1.3 million places since August 2015.Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. At present, Sheffield, Brightside, and Hillsborough constituency, which is covered by Sheffield local authority, are reporting that they are fulfilling their duty to ensure sufficient childcare.

Free School Meals

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the (a) feasibility of extending the free school meal scheme to all (i) primary school aged (ii) secondary school aged students whose parents are in receipt of Universal Credit, and (b) the potential impact on educational attainment.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department continues to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions, on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep free school meal (FSM) eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the government believes that the current level, which enables children to benefit from FSM, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one.The latest published statistics show that around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, the greatest ever proportion of school children, 37.5%, are now provided with FSM.The department has no current plans to conduct our own assessment of the effects of FSM on educational attainment, but we are aware of independent research in this area, such as that from the University of Essex, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, and will note its findings.

Childcare: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the level of affordability of childcare provision in Easington constituency.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department continues to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use government-funded support they are entitled to.The department collects data on the main characteristics of childcare and early years provision in England and fees data can be broken down to local authority level.Easington constituency falls within Durham County Council, where the latest data shows the average hourly fee for childcare to be £5.00 for two-year-old children, and £4.75 for three and four-year-old children.

Children: West Lancashire

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) Ofsted-registered childminders are working and (b) children aged between (i) one and three and (ii) four and 11 are living in the constituency of West Lancashire constituency; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of childcare provision in that constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) Ofsted-registered childminders work in and (b) children aged (i) one to three and (ii) four to 11 live in constituency Bristol West; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of childcare provision in that constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: A breakdown in the number of Ofsted registered childminders who are working, and the number of children aged 1-3 and 4-11 by parliamentary constituency and local authorities requested, can be found in the attached table. Childminders are generally the most affordable and flexible form of childcare and form an important part of the broader childcare market. Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. At present, all local authorities report that they are fulfilling their duty to ensure sufficient childcare.61883_61964_table (xls, 55.0KB)

Childcare: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an estimate of the affordability of childcare provision in the Slough constituency.

Kelly Tolhurst: The department is committed to improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare. We continue to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use government-funded support they are entitled to.The department collects data on the main characteristics of childcare and early years provision in England and fees data can be broken down to local authority level. The latest data shows the average hourly fee for childcare in Slough to be £6.00 for two-year-old children and £5.75 for three and four-year-old children.

Schools: Coronavirus

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support the Government provides to schools to help them protect extremely clinically vulnerable (a) students and (b) staff from covid-19.

Jonathan Gullis: Most people identified as clinically extremely vulnerable are now well protected after receiving their primary and booster vaccination doses. An additional booster is now also being offered to all those aged five or above who are either at higher clinical risk from COVID-19 or who live with individuals at higher clinical risk, as part of the current autumn booster programme.This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-safely-with-respiratory-infections-including-covid-19.There remains a smaller number of people who, despite vaccination, are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. This is due to a weakened immune system or other medical conditions that require enhanced protections such as those offered by antibody and antiviral treatments, additional vaccinations, and potentially other non-clinical interventions.Children and young people with weakened immune systems should follow the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)’s advice for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk from COVID-19.The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk.Where staff, children, pupils or children have received advice from a specialist or clinician, they should follow this advice. This may be set out in an education, health and care plan.In schools, given the low risk to children and young people, high levels of vaccination among the UK population, and a dominant variant that continues to be milder than in the past, public health advice is that there is no longer a need for specific COVID-19 guidance. Instead, UKSHA advise that COVID-19 can be managed like other respiratory infections. Schools should therefore be following the public health guidance set out by UKHSA.This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities.Over the last year, backed by £25 million in government funding, the Department has provided 386,699 CO2 monitors to state-funded education providers, including early years, schools and further education providers. CO2 monitors can support schools to identify poor areas of ventilation which will provide further reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working, especially over the winter months. As well as helping to identify areas that are poorly ventilated, CO2 monitors can be useful to help education providers balance good ventilation with keeping classrooms warm.Where an area of poor ventilation has been identified that cannot be resolved through simple measures such as opening doors and windows, it may be appropriate for education providers to consider the use of an air cleaning unit while the underlying ventilation issue is addressed. In January, the Government committed to fulfil all eligible applications for air cleaning units to state-funded education settings for poorly ventilated teaching spaces where quick fixes to improve ventilation were not possible. All eligible applications received have been fulfilled, with 8,026 air cleaning units distributed by 24 June 2022. All units delivered use high efficiency particulate air.The Department will continue to review any emerging evidence, public health guidance, and advice to help ensure that schools remain as safe as possible.

Multi-academy Trusts: Local Government

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the test and learn exercise for local authority multi-academy trusts announced in May 2022, which local authorities (a) submitted a registration of interest and (b) have been invited to participate in the test and learn exercise.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department has received 29 registrations of interest from local authorities interested in establishing a Multi-Academy Trust through a test-and-learn exercise. The Department is withholding the release of the names of the local authorities who submitted a registration of interest, as it has previously applied a Freedom of Information Act 2000 exemption to this information, referring to Section 35(1)(a), which relates to the formulation and development of government policy.The Department undertook a public interest test as required by the Act and concluded that not disclosing the information outweighed the public interest in disclosure.The Department will publish the names of the successful applications for the test-and-learn in due course.

Schools: Air Conditioning

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of installing air purifiers such as (a) HEPA filters and (b) Corsi-Rosenthal boxes in classrooms to help reduce the risk of covid-19 infection.

Jonathan Gullis: As of 24 June 2022, the Department has delivered more than 386,000 CO2 monitors to state-funded settings to help them assess how well ventilated their teaching spaces are.Where an area of poor ventilation has been identified that cannot be resolved through simple measures, settings were able to apply for an air cleaning unit to use while the underlying ventilation issue is addressed.All eligible applications received for air cleaning units have been fulfilled, with over 8,000 units now delivered. The Department also enabled settings to purchase air cleaning units at a competitive price directly from suppliers at the online marketplace. All air cleaning units supplied by the Department and available on the marketplace are HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) units that meet an approved technical specification.Natural ventilation is best where that is achievable, and the Department has robust evidence that in the vast majority of cases, teaching spaces and classrooms benefit from sufficient natural ventilation. That evidence includes the responses to our recent survey of settings using the CO2 monitors which was published on 24 January. The findings showed that only 3% of settings reported sustained high CO2 readings (above 1500ppm) that could not be remedied through quick fixes or remedial building works.

Further Education: Stockton North

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to address repairs backlogs in further education colleges in Stockton North constituency.

Andrea Jenkyns: The Further Education (FE) Capital Transformation Programme is delivering the £1.5 billion manifesto commitment to upgrade FE college estates.Through this programme, £200 million was allocated to all FE colleges and designated institutions to undertake immediate remedial work and upgrade the condition of their estates. The Education Training Collective, which incorporates the FE colleges in Stockton-on-Tees received an allocation of £960,000 of capital funding, to improve their estate in August 2020.The next stage of the programme of investment to upgrade the FE estate is due to be announced later this year.

Schools: Bassetlaw

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Bassetlaw constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Bishop Auckland constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Bury North constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Chingford and Woodford Green constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Cities of London and Westminster constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Burnley constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Derby North constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Erewash constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Dover constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Hendon constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Gedling constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Hastings and Rye constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Hartlepool constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Milton Keynes South constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Ipswich constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Leigh constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Houghton & Sunderland South constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Milton Keynes North constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Norwich North constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Penistone and Stocksbridge constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Peterborough constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Plymouth Moor View constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Shipley constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in South Swindon constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Southampton Itchen constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Stoke-on-Trent Central constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Stroud constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Truro and Falmouth constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Warrington South constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Watford constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 27 September to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in York Outer constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Gullis: The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme and plan to publish the details by the end of the year.The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.The Department has no plans to make a statement.

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice: Consultancy

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent on external management consultants in (a) 2014, (b) 2015 and (c) 2016.

Rachel Maclean: The Ministry of Justice’s total spend on external management consultants in the periods 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 was disclosed in the Department’s annual report and accounts. The relevant spend is set out below:YearConsultancy Spend £0002014/1534,3632015/1611,2612016/1715,156 Note that the information provided in the annual report and accounts also includes aspects of professional services spend which cannot be separated out for these periods.

Ministry of Justice: Offices

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many work stations were available for civil servants to use in the headquarters of his Department on 11 October 2022.

Rachel Maclean: There are currently 3,146 work stations available for civil servants to use in the buildings across the UK that are used by MoJ’s headquarters.

International Criminal Court: Ukraine

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s announcement of support for the International Criminal Court investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine on 6 June 2022, how many of the seven UK lawyers offered in support of that investigation had commenced their secondments to the International Criminal Court on or before 6 October 2022.

Mike Freer: To meet the ICC’s request for legal personnel, the MoJ provided an initial list of seven candidates from the sector who expressed an interest in working with the ICC and held the required expertise. The ICC has since agreed that one of the proposed candidates will be seconded to provide training and support on short-term projects in line with ICC requirements.

Prisoners' Release: Housing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps he has taken to progress the implementation of his Department's action plan entitled A response to: An inspection of accommodation and support for adult offenders in the community and on release from prison, published in July 2021.

Rob Butler: Since the publication of the action plan, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has committed to increase capacity across the Approved Premises estate by 200 beds. To date, we have delivered more than 152 beds with the full expansion on track to be delivered by March 2024. Additionally, our new Community Accommodation Service Tier 2 (CAS-2), (formerly known as Bail Accommodation and Support Services), will increase spaces by a further 300 beds over the next 3 years.The Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 (CAS3) offers temporary accommodation for up to 84 nights to prison leavers who would otherwise be homeless. It can be used as ‘move on’ provision from Approved Premises as well as for prison leavers at risk of homelessness.HMPPS has also retained the Homeless Prevention Teams as a permanent feature to develop relationships with local authorities and other strategic partners in order to embed and expand housing options for prison leavers.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Railways

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much her Department spent on first class train travel for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants in (i) 2020, (i) 2021 and (iii) 2022.

Sir James Duddridge: The Department for International Trade (DIT) spend for first class train travel for ministers and civil servants is as follows: Ministers 2020- Nil 2021 - £754.20 2022 - £169.20 Civil Servants 2020 - £318.10 2021 - £600.55 2022 - £496.15

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Pakistan: Disaster Relief

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) additional and (b) long-term funding he will provide to help Pakistan rebuild (i) livelihoods, and (ii) infrastructure in a sustainable way following the Summer 2022 floods.

Gillian Keegan: The UK is committed to supporting Pakistan as it recovers from the recent flooding. We provide indirect, long-term funding to the International Financial Institutions who will play a critical role in Pakistan's recovery. The UK is a major donor to the World Bank International Development Association and to the Asian Development Bank. The World Bank has already reprioritised $350 million from its existing Pakistan programs for immediate support and anticipates it will commit a further $2 billion. The Asian Development Bank have announced £2.6 million of support.

India: Visas

Allan Dorans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress the Government has made on negotiations to restore the ability of UK citizens to apply for an E- Visa to visit India as a tourist.

Jesse Norman: We regularly raise our concerns regarding our exclusion from the list of countries eligible for e-visas with the Government of India (GoI). The Prime Minister, whilst Foreign Secretary, raised this matter with the Indian External Affairs Minister during her visit to India in March. We continue to work closely with the GoI on this issue, while respecting it is for them to determine the types and validity of the visas it offers. British nationals can continue to use the GoI's regular/paper visa application services for all visa categories. We will update India Travel Advice with the latest information if there are any changes in India's visa rules.

Africa: Development Aid and Humanitarian Aid

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the (a) humanitarian and (b) development aid budgets are for (i) Somalia, (ii) South Sudan, (iii) Ethiopia and (iv) Kenya in this financial year.

Gillian Keegan: The UK aims to provide approximately £156 million in humanitarian support to East Africa in financial year 2022/23. This includes support to Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya.Given the government's response to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, wider Official Development Assistance (ODA) pressures including the ODA-eligible expenditure incurred through the Afghan resettlement programme and the UK's support to people fleeing Ukraine, the FCDO and other ODA spending departments will need to revisit development aid budgets to ensure all eligible spending is managed within 0.5% of Gross National Incoming this calendar year.The Government remains committed to transparency and will provide an update to Parliament on spending plans in due course.

Iran: Baha'i Faith

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of recent reports of the arrest of Baha’is in the Republic of Iran and the destruction of Baha’i homes in the village of Roushankouh.

Gillian Keegan: The Baha'i community in Iran is systematically discriminated against, harassed, and is targeted by authorities. Credible reports in July of widespread raids of Baha'i homes, forced demolitions, and property seizures, particular in the village of Roushankouh in Mazandaran province, indicate that the Iranian government has this year redoubled repressive efforts against the Baha'i community. As the FCDO Minister responsible for Human Rights and Freedom of Religion and Belief, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, said on 5 August: persecution of religious minorities is a serious human rights violation and cannot be tolerated in 2022. I reiterated our commitment to holding Iran to account at a Westminster Hall debate on 11 October.

Chad: Peace and Security Council

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of (a) the compatibility of the conditions set by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union on 14 May 2021 with and (b) the implications for his policies of the transition plan in Chad.

Gillian Keegan: The UK supports the African Union's efforts to deliver a peaceful, democratic and inclusive transition of power in Chad, including the conditions set by the Peace and Security Council on 14 May. FCDO's policies in Chad remain unchanged - we will continue to use our diplomatic presence to promote Chad's transition back to civilian and constitutional rule in support of the African Union's position while delivering life-saving humanitarian aid to those most in need.

Iran: Civil Disorder

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the civil unrest in Iran.

Gillian Keegan: The death of Mahsa Amini is a shocking reminder of the repression faced by women in Iran. The Foreign Secretary said on 5 October, that the protests send a clear message that the Iranian people are not satisfied with the path their government have taken. Iran's leaders must now listen. On 3 October, the Foreign Secretary instructed the FCDO to summon Iran's most senior diplomat in the UK to condemn the Iranian authorities' violent crackdown on protests following the death of Mahsa Amini. We call on Iran to respect the right to peaceful assembly, exercise restraint and release unfairly detained protesters.

Iran: Baha'i Faith

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications of the Special Court of Iran acting under Article 49 of the Iranian Constitution to authorise the expropriation of the properties and lands of members of the Baha’i community; and if will he make a statement.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the veracity of reports on the seizure of Baha’i properties by authorities in Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Keegan: Promoting the right to freedom of religion or belief for all is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. Reports indicate that the Iranian government has this year redoubled its repressive efforts against the Baha'i community, with expropriation and repossession of land, destruction of homes, and increasing detention of members of the community. On 5 August 2022 the FCDO Minister responsible for Human Rights and Freedom of Religion and Belief, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon issued a statement calling on Iran to end its unlawful repression of the Baha'i community. I reiterated our commitment to holding Iran to account for its targeting of the Baha'i community at a Westminster Hall debate on 11 October.

Ahmad Manasra

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to Answer of 4 July to Question 26842, whether he has representations to his Israeli counterpart on Israel's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that depriving children of their liberty should be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.

Gillian Keegan: We are aware of Israel's use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary. We call on the Israeli authorities to either charge or release detainees. We are committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding children in detention.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of President Biden's attempts to renegotiate the Iranian Nuclear Deal on (a) sanctions, (b) the freezing of Iranian assets, (c) the strength and stability of the Iranian regime, and (d) the stability of the Middle East.

Gillian Keegan: Iran has refused to conclude a deal that would have restored the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with continued demands beyond the JCPOA's scope. We are considering next steps with our international partners.We have been clear about our concerns over Iran's destabilising activity throughout the region including its political, financial and military support to a number of militant groups. The UK has designated over 200 Iranian entities and individuals in relation to human rights abuses, proliferation and terrorism.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to the Government of Bahrain on the death sentences imposed by that country on (a) Maher Abbas al-Khabbaz, (b) Sayed Ahmed al-Abar, (c) Zuhair Ebrahim Jasim Abdullah, (d) Husain Ebrahim Ali Husain Marzooq, (e) Husain Moosa, (f) Mohamed Ramadhan, (g) Husain Ali Mehdi and (h) Salman Isa Ali Salman.

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 September 2022 to Question 44945 on Bahrain: Capital Punishment, whether when the former Minister met members of the Bahraini Government in July she raised the cases of (a) Mohammed Ramadhan and (b) Hussain Moosa and the death sentences handed down in their cases.

Gillian Keegan: Ministers and officials continue to reiterate the UK's opposition to use of the death penalty, publicly and privately, with senior members of the Bahraini Government. During a visit to Bahrain in July the former Minister for the Middle East met with senior members of the Bahraini Government and discussed human rights issues, including the death penalty where she restated the UK position. Lord Ahmad also met with Bahrain Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani in July, and again in September during the margins of the UN General Assembly. During the meetings they discussed a number of shared human rights priorities, including specific human rights cases of interest. The UK's position on the use of the death penalty is longstanding and clear. The Government of Bahrain is fully aware of our position.

Sierra Leone: Civil Liberties

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support freedom of assembly laws in Sierra Leone, in the context of the arrest of the former Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Gillian Keegan: The UK Government, alongside the wider international community, is a strong supporter of political stability, development and peace in Sierra Leone. We hold regular, frank discussions on good governance, the rule of law and stability and the importance of a free and fair election in 2023 with the Government of Sierra Leone, as well as with other stakeholders.

Mahsa Amini

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Iranian counterpart on the police response to protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini.

Gillian Keegan: On 3 October, the Foreign Secretary instructed the FCDO to summon Iran's most senior diplomat in the UK. It was made clear to him that the Iranian authorities should take responsibility for their actions, listening to the concerns of their people, instead of blaming external actors. We reiterated our call for Iran to respect the right to peaceful assembly, exercise restraint and release unfairly detained protesters. We continue to raise our concerns at every opportunity, with the Iranian Embassy in London and via our Ambassador in Tehran.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the conflict in the Yemen.

Gillian Keegan: The truce in the Yemen conflict expired on 2 October following the Houthis' introduction of maximalist demands in the final days of talks. The parties have not returned to full conflict but the situation is volatile. We are providing technical advice, engaging with regional actors, and maximising our Security Council penholder role to support UN-led efforts to protect progress so far and extend the truce. This would expand benefits for Yemenis and lay the ground for a peace deal. UK humanitarian support has saved and improved thousands of lives in Yemen.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has received written assurances from the Government of Bahrain that the death penalty will not be carried out in that country.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings on human rights violations and the involvement of Bahraini officials in the Human Rights Watch report entitled The Court is Satisfied with the Confession: Bahrain Death Sentences Follow Torture, Sham Trials published on 10 October 2022.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Human Rights Watch report entitled The Court is Satisfied with the Confession: Bahrain Death Sentences Follow Torture, Sham Trials published on 10 October 2022, if he will take steps to implement the recommendations in that report.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has held discussions with her counterpart in Bharain on individual cases of death row inmates.

Gillian Keegan: The Government has taken note of the Human Rights Watch report published on 10 October 2022. Ministers and officials continue to reiterate the UK's opposition to use of the death penalty, publicly and privately, with senior members of the Bahraini Government. During a visit to Bahrain in July the former Minister for the Middle East met with senior members of the Bahraini Government and discussed human rights issues, including the death penalty where she restated the UK position. Lord Ahmad also met with Bahrain Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani in July, and again in September during the margins of the UN General Assembly. During the meetings they discussed a number of shared human rights priorities, including specific human rights cases of interest. The UK's position on the use of the death penalty is longstanding and clear. The Government of Bahrain is fully aware of our position.

Iran: Females

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to supportwomeninIran.

Gillian Keegan: The death of Mahsa Amini is a reminder of the repression faced by women in Iran. On 10 October, the UK sanctioned the Morality Police, two of its leaders and five others for serious human rights violations. For decades, the Morality Police have used the threat of detention and violence to control what Iranian women wear and how they behave in public. These sanctions send a clear message that the UK will hold Iran to account for the repression of women and girls. On 3 October, Iran's most senior diplomat in the UK was summoned to the FCDO. Iran must listen to the concerns of its people; we will continue working with international partners to ensure accountability.

Iran: Demonstrations

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Iranian counterparts on acts of violence against protesters in that country.

Gillian Keegan: The UK is committed to holding Iran to account: on 10 October we sanctioned the so-called Morality Police and seven individuals for serious human rights violations. On 3 October, we summoned Iran's most senior official in the UK to the FCDO to underline Iran must respect the right to peaceful assembly. The UK Government's position is clear: instead of blaming external actors for unrest, Iranian authorities should take responsibility and listen to the concerns of their people. The UK will continue to work with our partners to hold the Iranian authorities to account for their flagrant violations of universal human rights.

Iran: Sanctions

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of applying Magnitsky sanctions to senior officials in the Iranian government.

Gillian Keegan: The UK has over 200 sanctions designations in place against Iran in relation to human rights, nuclear proliferation and terrorism. On 10 October, the UK used the dedicated Iran Human Rights sanctions regime to designate the so-called Morality Police, two of its leaders and five others for serious human rights violations. This brings the total to 85 individuals and two entities sanctioned under that regime. It is longstanding practice not to speculate on future sanctions designations, as to do so could reduce the impact of the designations. A full list is available on the UK Sanctions List.https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-sanctions-on-iran-relating-to-human-rights

Iran: Baha'i Faith

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential threat of human rights violations against the Bahai community in Iran.

Gillian Keegan: The Baha'i community in Iran is systematically discriminated against, harassed, and is targeted by the authorities. Reports indicate that the Iranian government has this year redoubled repressive efforts against the Baha'i community, with expropriation and repossession of land, destruction of homes, and increasing detention of members of the community. As the FCDO Minister responsible for Human Rights and Freedom of Religion and Belief, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, said on 5 August: persecution of religious minorities is a serious human rights violation and cannot be tolerated in 2022. I reiterated our commitment to holding Iran to account at a Westminster Hall debate on 11 October.

Mahmoud Khazein

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of apply Magnitsky sanctions against Iranian intelligence official Mahmoud Khazein.

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of applying Magnitsky sanctions against Iranian intelligence official Alireza Shahvaroghi Farahani.

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of applying Magnitsky sanctions against Iranian Chief of Police Hossein Ashtari.

Gillian Keegan: The UK has over 200 sanctions designations in place against Iran in relation to human rights, nuclear proliferation and terrorism. On 10 October, the UK used the dedicated Iran Human Rights sanctions regime to designate the so-called Morality Police, two of its leaders and five others for serious human rights violations. This brings the total to 85 individuals and two entities sanctioned under that regime. It is longstanding practice not to speculate on future sanctions designations, as to do so could reduce the impact of the designations. A full list is available on the UK Sanctions List.https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-sanctions-on-iran-relating-to-human-rights

Horn of Africa

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which countries his Department includes in its definition of the Horn of Africa.

Gillian Keegan: Governments and international organisations interpret the term 'Horn of Africa' in a variety of ways, to include different countries. This ambiguity also applies to the ongoing Horn of Africa humanitarian crisis. The FCDO does not have a strict definition for the 'Horn of Africa'. Where the FCDO refers to regional humanitarian activity, for example, it uses the term 'East Africa', and includes within it those countries in the region that have bilateral humanitarian programmes (Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda,).

Mahsa Amini

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to impose sanctions against Iranian government officials for that government's reaction to the protestsin that country following the death of Mahsa Amini.

Gillian Keegan: The UK has over 200 sanctions designations in place against Iran in relation to human rights, nuclear proliferation and terrorism. On 10 October, the UK used the dedicated Iran Human Rights sanctions regime to designate the so-called Morality Police, two of its leaders and five others for serious human rights violations. This brings the total to 85 individuals and two entities sanctioned under that regime. It is longstanding practice not to speculate on future sanctions designations, as to do so could reduce the impact of the designations. A full list is available on the UK Sanctions List.https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-sanctions-on-iran-relating-to-human-rights

Horn of Africa: Development Aid and Humanitarian Aid

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of (a) humanitarian and (b) development aid funding allocated to the Horn of Africa for this financial year has been programmed.

Jesse Norman: In Financial Year 2022/23, the UK intends to provide approximately £156 million in humanitarian aid across East Africa including countries in the Horn of Africa. Of this amount, currently more than £93 million has been programmed and spent. £170 million of development aid has currently been programmed and spent in East Africa, also including countries in the Horn of Africa.Given the government's response to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, wider Official Development Assistance (ODA) pressures including the ODA-eligible expenditure incurred through the Afghan resettlement programme and the UK's support to people fleeing Ukraine, the FCDO and other ODA spending departments will need to revisit development aid budgets to ensure all eligible spending is managed within 0.5% of GNI this calendar year.The Government remains committed to transparency and will provide an update to Parliament on spending plans in due course.

Food Supply

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to publish a comprehensive strategy on how to address global food insecurity.

Jesse Norman: The FCDO has a comprehensive action plan to address food insecurity, which was set out in the response to the International Development Committee's recent report on the hunger crisis. The main elements of the action plan are:Continuing to get the grain out of Ukraine to help stabilise prices.Prioritising our humanitarian resources to the most vulnerable in the countries at greatest risk of famine.Securing a coordinated international response, working closely with our international partners, including through the G7 and G20.Supporting fertiliser availability to avoid a food availability crisis in 2023.Being clear that UK sanctions against Russia have never targeted exports of food or fertiliser.Influencing the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to substantially frontload resources and take action to support the most vulnerable countiesExpanding disaster risk finance and insurance cover to help protect against future drought in African countries.Lobbying key countries to lift trade restrictions and encouraging others not to impose restrictions and if they do, to do so transparently and inform World Trade Organisation.Mobilising investments in food and agriculture productivity and resilience, including through high-impact research and innovation, and Influencing climate resilient and sustainable production policies.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of state parties not agreeing a consensus document at the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in August 2022 on the war in Ukraine.

Leo Docherty: The Review Conference was unable to agree an outcomes document solely because Russia blocked consensus over references to Ukraine. However, the Conference did advance discussions of the Treaty's three pillars and agreed to set up a working group to strengthen the review process. The Treaty remains the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. The UK is proud of its contributions to the Treaty's success including our track record on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear technology. We will continue this work into the next review cycle. On 12 October, a Written Ministerial Statement was published on the Review Conference.

Ukraine: Food

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help support the transportation of food in Ukraine.

Leo Docherty: The UK continues to support Ukraine directly in addressing the consequences of Russia's illegal and brutal invasion. On food transportation, we have provided £10m for equipment to facilitate the movement of grain by Ukrainian railways to neighbouring countries. We also provided diplomatic support for the agreement of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, under which over 7 million tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs have been exported from Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

USA: Foreign Relations

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if any personnel from his Department have ever been selected for a British-American Project fellowship.

Jesse Norman: We understand that there are cases of FCDO personnel having been selected for a British-American Project fellowship, although information on membership is not held centrally by the Department.

USA: Foreign Relations

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department has contributed to the British-American Project.

Jesse Norman: This information is not held centrally.

Myanmar: Armed Conflict

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans does the Government have to help ensure (a) accountability and (b) access to justice for children affected by conflict in Myanmar.

Jesse Norman: The UK is clear that there must be accountability for atrocities committed in Myanmar. We have consistently used our role as penholder to keep Myanmar on the UN Security Council's agenda. On 25 August we announced our intention to intervene in the International Court of Justice's case which is considering Myanmar's compliance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, in relation to acts against the Rohingya, including children.The UK provided £49.4 million in aid to the people of Myanmar in 2021/22, including £24 million in humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable, including the Rohingya.

British Overseas Territories: Development Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 20 March 2020 to Question 19029, on British Overseas Territories: Development Aid, how much funding he estimates will be provided to the British Overseas Territories in the next five years from (a) the UK Aid budget, (b) conflict, stability and security funding (CSSF), (c) Darwin Plus and (d) the Blue Planet Fund.

Jesse Norman: The UK remains committed to supporting the Overseas Territories that have the first call on the aid budget. There will be approximately £80 million spent on Overseas Development Aid (ODA) in the eligible Overseas Territories in the Financial Year 2022-23. The FCDO is working with Overseas Territory governments to assess their needs for allocations for future years. In this spending review period - April 2022 - March 2025 - there will be £62 million Conflict, Stability and Security Funds allocated to the Overseas Territories, this includes both ODA and non-ODA; and £9 million of Darwin Plus funding will be available for the ODA eligible Territories. The joint Defra and FCDO £500 million Blue Planet Fund is a portfolio of programmes, some of which will be available for ODA eligible countries, including Overseas Territories.

Haiti: Gangs

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Haitian counterpart on the Haitian Prime Minister's recent call for international military assistance to deal with gang violence in that country.

Jesse Norman: FCDO officials are actively engaged in the UN Security Council discussions regarding the Haitian call for assistance, where we are working with other Council members to consider their request. This includes at a session on 17 October where the Haitian Foreign Minister briefed the council on the situation in Haiti, including the request for international security assistance.We will continue to work with our international partners to ensure a coordinated and coherent response.The Haitian Government have not requested bilateral discussions in relation to their appeal to the United Nations for enhanced security assistance.

Pakistan: Arms Trade

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the British High Commissioner to Pakistan has raised arms sales to the Myanmar military with the government of Pakistan.

Jesse Norman: The UK is a longstanding supporter of an arms embargo on Myanmar. We are clear that countries should not sell arms to the Myanmar military. On 27 March, the UK coordinated a joint statement with 48 signatories that committed us to working to prevent the flow of arms and equipment to the Myanmar military. We have also worked with partners to secure strong language on stopping the flow of arms at the G7, UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council. Earlier this year, British High Commission Islamabad officials raised Pakistan's sale of arms to the Myanmar military with the Pakistani authorities.

Pakistan: Health Services

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department plans to allocate to support the health needs of women in Pakistan in the next financial year.

Leo Docherty: UK aid in Pakistan is focused on the most vulnerable, including women and girls. Since 2012, UKAid has reached over 9.7 million family planning users and prevented 8,809 maternal deaths, over 8.08 million unwanted pregnancies, and 1.89 million unsafe abortions in Pakistan. Future Aid prioritisation decisions will be guided by the new UK International Development Strategy to ensure we continue to support women and girls, address increasing global challenges, deliver investment, get humanitarian assistance to those who need it most and continue our work on climate change, nature, and global health.

Development Aid: health Services

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of total Official Development Assistance was allocated to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021.

Vicky Ford: Based on the "Statistics on International Development: final UK aid spend 2020", and the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) spend methodology laid out in the "Donor Delivering for SRHR" report:a/ 4.16% of total UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) was allocated to SRHR in 2019.b/ 2.57% of UK bilateral ODA was allocated to SRHR in 2020. Note, this percentage excludes multilateral core funding. The share of the UK multilateral core contribution attributable to SRHR is estimated by Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (DSW) and published in the "Donor Delivering for SRHR" report. Data for 2020 and 2021 is not available yet.c/ Data for 2021 is not available yet.

Indigenous Peoples: International Assistance

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the UK will contribute towards the joint fund to support indigenous peoples as part of the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Pledge made at COP26; how much and what proportion of the UK’s pledged contribution has been allocated as of 10 October 2022; and how much and what proportion of the UK's contribution will go directly to indigenous peoples.

Vicky Ford: The UK pledged $224 million towards the COP26 Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Forest Tenure Rights Pledge. The total $1.7 billion pledged by the 22 participating public and private donors is not being paid into a joint fund. Each donor decides how their contribution is spent in accordance with the commitments made in the pledge statement. The UK Government's contribution to the pledge is fully allocated against three programmes, the Global Land Governance Programme, the Territorios Forestales Sostenibles (TEFOS) programme in Colombia, and the current and planned next phase of the Forest, Governance and Markets Programme. So far, around 33% of the funds under each of these programmes have been committed via a contract or grant agreement. The UK Government is committed to increasing its direct support to indigenous peoples and local communities in line with the ambition of the pledge, but we are not yet able to say how much or what proportion will go directly to indigenous peoples. This will depend on specific funding agreements under each programme.

Development Aid: Health Services

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of Official Development Assistance funding was allocated to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in fragile and conflict-affected states in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021.

Vicky Ford: Based on the 2023 Word Bank Classification of Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations (FCAS), the "Statistics on International Development: final UK aid spend 2020", and the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) spend methodology laid out in the "Donor Delivering for SRHR" report:a/ At least 1.07% of UK bilateral ODA was allocated to SRHR in FCAS in 2019.b/ At least 0.91% of UK bilateral ODA was allocated to SRHR in FCAS in 2020.c/ Data for 2021 is not available yet.Note, this excludes bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) spent at regional level. Imputed share of multilateral core funding attributable to SRHR by specific country is not available.

International Assistance: Health Services

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights funding was disbursed by (a) bilateral aid, (b) multilateral aid and (c) other funding mechanisms in each of the last four years.

Vicky Ford: Based on the "Statistics on International Development: final UK aid spend 2020", and the Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) spend methodology laid out in the "Donor Delivering for SRHR" report:a/ The total amount of UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) SRHR funding disbursed by bilateral aid was: £439 million in 2018, £515 million in 2019, and £372 million in 2020.b/ The total amount of UK ODA SRHR funding disbursed by core multilateral aid was: £142 million in 2018, £121 million in 2019, and £142 million in 2020.c/ There are no other funding mechanism to disburse UK ODA.Data for 2021 onward is not available yet.

Pakistan: Females

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding his Department has provided for (a) sexual and reproductive health and rights, (b) maternal care and (c) other programmes for women's health in Pakistan in the 2022-23 financial year.

Leo Docherty: The UK has a long history of financial and technical support to the health sector in Pakistan. Bilateral programmes have focussed on health system strengthening, reproductive health, maternal and child health and nutrition. Since 2012, UK Aid in Pakistan has reached over 9.7 million family planning users and prevented 8,809 maternal deaths, over 8.08 million unwanted pregnancies and 1.89 million unsafe abortions. Currently our family planning programme has pivoted to flood support, providing primary health care to affected communities especially vulnerable women and children. Future Aid prioritisation decisions will be guided by the new UK International Development Strategy to ensure we continue to support women and girls, address increasing global challenges, deliver investment, get humanitarian assistance to those who need it most and continue our work on climate change, nature, and global health.

British Overseas Territories : Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for how many bills in British Overseas Territories has the governor (a) withheld assent and (b) reserved the bill for decision by a UK Secretary of State in each of the past five years.

Jesse Norman: The constitutions of the Overseas Territories make different provision for assent, according to the options available to a Governor when presented with legislation. In the case of Bermuda, the Cannabis Licensing Bill 2022 was reserved, and assent was not granted. In the British Virgin Islands (BVI) assent was reserved to the following legislation; the Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) Amendment Bill 2020 and the Cannabis Licensing Bill 2020. In other circumstance, Bills have been withdrawn for revision by the local legislature before a formal decision on assent was taken.

Cuba: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking support British nationals in Cuba affected by Hurricane Ian.

Jesse Norman: Hurricane Ian passed over western Cuba on 27 September. There may be continued effects on transport, electricity supply, water and other infrastructure in the affected provinces while the recovery effort is underway. The British Embassy in Havana remains in close contact with the Cuban authorities, travel agencies and tour operators working with British nationals in the affected area. All consular services remained available to British nationals in Cuba during Hurricane Ian and continue to be available.

Democracy and Human Rights

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the 2021 Human Rights and Democracy report will be published.

Leo Docherty: We intend to publish the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's 2021 Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report in due course.

Pakistan: Floods

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the humanitarian response to severe flooding in Pakistan.

Leo Docherty: The UK stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Pakistan as it faces the consequences of the recent devastating flooding. On 14 October, Lord Ahmad announced a further £10m of support, taking the UK's humanitarian pledge to £26.5 million in total. The £26.5 million supports flood relief and recovery efforts, including providing sanitation, shelter, and multi-purpose cash grants to those affected, and includes £5 million in matched funds for the Disasters Emergency Committee which has been disbursed to leading charities to respond to immediate needs.

British Overseas Territories: Development Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which British Overseas Territories are eligible to receive Overseas Development Aid; and what recent discussions they have had about expanding the rules so that other British Overseas Territories are eligible for that aid.

Jesse Norman: Montserrat, the Pitcairn Islands, St Helena and Tristan da Cunha are eligible for Overseas Development Aid. There are no ongoing discussions to expand the list of Overseas Territories eligible for regular Overseas Development Aid.

British Overseas Territories: Emergency Powers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any of the British Overseas Territories has declared a state of emergency in the past five years.

Jesse Norman: Within the past five years, three British Overseas Territories have declared a state of emergency. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic to manage the cross-border spread of the disease. These were Anguilla, Bermuda, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

China: Uyghurs

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterparts about the treatment of Uighur Muslims.

Jesse Norman: The UK Government regularly raises the human rights situation in Xinjiang directly with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on 20 September. The UK also continues to lead wider international efforts to pressure China to change its behaviour. We have imposed sanctions, led joint statements at the UN, taken action to tackle forced labour in supply chains, and funded research to expose China's actions.

Myanmar: Sanctions

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has taken steps to limit the supply of aviation fuel to the Myanmar military.

Jesse Norman: In response to the military coup in Myanmar on 1 February 2021, the UK has imposed 12 tranches of sanctions targeting the Myanmar military's leadership, businesses and associates, including arms dealers. On 28 February 2022, the UK updated its Overseas Business Risk Guidance to make it clear that UK businesses should conduct thorough supply chain diligence to ensure that commodities such as aviation fuel do not reach the Myanmar military.We are continuing to explore a range of measures to tackle the Myanmar military's ability to use their air capabilities to target civilians.

China: Higher Education

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education (b) the higher education sector on (i) academic integrity (ii) the influence of Chinese state-owned enterprises and (iii) the influence of the Chinese Government in the sector.

Jesse Norman: Since his recent appointment, the Foreign Secretary has not met with the Secretary of State for Education or with the higher education sector to discuss these issues. The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses and academia to engage with China in a way that reflects the UK's values and takes account of national security concerns. The UK is a world-leading destination for international students and we have robust procedures in place to protect against any undue foreign influence. FCDO officials will continue to work closely with their Department for Education counterparts regarding the issues you raised.

Vietnam and Singapore : Visits Abroad

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, (a) which government ministers have been provided with overnight accommodation within the UK's embassies or consulates in (i) Vietnam and (ii) Singapore in each calendar year from 2017 to 2022, and (b) in each case, in which city was that accommodation provided, and for how many nights.

Jesse Norman: YearSingaporeVietnam2017· Secretary of State for International Trade - 2 nights (Singapore)· Secretary of State for Scotland - 2 nights (Singapore)· Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government - 2 nights (Singapore)· Minister for Asia - 3 nights (Singapore)· Minister for Culture and Digital - 1 night (Singapore)· Advocate General for Scotland - 2 nights (Singapore)· Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - 1 night (Singapore)· Secretary of State for International Trade (Ho Chi Minh City) - 1 night2018· Minister for Trade Policy - 4 nights (Singapore)· Secretary of State for International Trade - 3 nights (Singapore)· Home Secretary - 2 nights (Singapore)· Minister for Asia - 1 night (Singapore)· Nil2019· Foreign Secretary - 2 nights (Singapore)· Nil2020· Nil· Nil2021· Nil· Nil2021· Foreign Secretary - 1 night (Singapore)· Nil

Japan and South Korea: Visits Abroad

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which Government Ministers have been provided with overnight accommodation within the UK's embassies or consulates in (a) Japan and (b) South Korea in each calendar year from 2017 to 2022; and in each case, in which city was that accommodation provided, and for how many nights.

Jesse Norman: YearJapanRepublic of Korea2017TokyoSecretary of State for International Trade - 2 nightsSecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs - 2 nightsMinister of State for Digital - 2 nightsParliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - 2 nights*2018TokyoMinister of State for Trade and Export Promotion - 3 nightsSecretary of State for Scotland - 2 nightsMinister for Asia and the Pacific - 2 nightsSecretary of State for International Trade - 2 nightsSecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs - 2 nightsEconomic Secretary to the Treasury Minister - 3 nightsSecretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - 3 nights*2019TokyoSecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs - 2 nightsSecretary of State for Health and Social Care - 2 nightsChancellor of the Exchequer - 2 nightsSecretary of State for International Trade- 2 nightsParliamentary Under Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - 2 nightsChancellor of the Exchequer - 2 nightsSeoulParliamentary Under Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - 1 night2020TokyoSecretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development - 1 nightSecretary of State for International Trade - 3 nightsSecretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and President for COP 26 - 2 nightsNil2021TokyoMinister for Asia and the Middle East - 2 nightsSecretary of State for Defence - 1 nightNil2022NilSeoulMinister for Asia and the Middle East - 2 nightsMinister for Investment - 1 nightSecretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs - 1 night* Official UK residence underwent renovation and refurbishment

Somalia: Famine

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to respond the UN's warning that famine could be declared in Somalia by October 2022.

Gillian Keegan: Almost half of Somalia's population is in dire need of help, with 300,000 people forecast to be in famine by October if assistance is not provided immediately. On 21 September at the UN General Assembly, the Minister for Development, Vicky Ford MP, announced a £22.8 million package of assistance for Somalia to alleviate the impact of drought and address the risk of famine. This brings the UK's total support to Somalia since 1 April 2022 to £52.8 million covering humanitarian, protection, health and nutrition support.As co-chair of the Somalia Donor Group, the UK continues to lobby for more funds from the international community and non-traditional donors for the urgent response that is required now and to help build resilience for vulnerable populations.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Ethnic Groups

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of personnel in each of branch of the Armed Forces identify as BAME.

Sarah Atherton: Defence is committed to attracting, retaining and developing the best talent from the broadest diversity of skills and background, to reflect the society we serve. We are making the step changes required to create a more inclusive environment for all, enabling everyone, irrespective of background, to deliver our Defence outputs, enhance our operational effectiveness and represent the nation we serve. Our Department-wide Diversity and Inclusion Strategy clearly sets out a challenging vision, goals, objectives and commitments of where we want to see change.Defence is undergoing a rapid transformation. As part of this transformation, in 2020 the Chiefs of Staff set out their commitment to invest in a range of actions to support Defence’s ambition to be a more diverse and inclusive place to work.The requested information is published by the Ministry of Defence in the biannual diversity statistics publication. The latest statistics, as at April 2022, are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-april-2022 A full index of biannual diversity statistics, from 2015 onwards, is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-index

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme: Standards

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average time taken was from the receipt of an application to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme to the announcement of a decision for (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful claims in each year since 2010.

Sarah Atherton: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the Hon. Members Question. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the number of Russian Armed Forces personnel in Ukraine (a) killed in action, (b) wounded and (c) deserted from their posts, since 24 February 2022.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of Russian (a) main battle tanks, (b) armoured fighting vehicles, (c) fixed wing aircrafts, (d) helicopters, (e) unmanned aerial vehicles, (f) ships, (g) artillery systems, (h) multiple-launch rocket systems and (i) other capabilities, destroyed in Ukraine since 1 February 2022.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the total number of Russian land vehicles repurposed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defend against the Russian invasion of that country.

James Heappey: Ukraine's Armed Forces has inflicted heavy losses on Russian forces. Russian casualties continue to climb, with a rough estimate of 25,000 Russian dead, tens of thousands have been injured and tens of thousands more have already deserted. Poor logistics means that its troops are often without food and supplies, and morale continues to be generally awful.Russia's war machine is severely depleted, with more than 4000 armoured and protected vehicles destroyed, more than 500 artillery pieces decimated, including rocket systems and other capabilities, and over 50 fixed-wing aircraft, as well as numerous helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles rendered inoperable. Ukraine's military have also captured many hundreds of Russian vehicles to use against the flagging Russian military.

Armed Forces: Counter-terrorism

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many serving Armed Forces personnel have been referred to the Prevent Scheme since 1 January 2019.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Armed Forces have been identified as members of far-right group Generation Identity since 2019.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there are changes to the required duties of a serving Armed Forces personnel if they are referred to the Prevent Scheme.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Armed Forces have been identified as members of banned organisations since 2010.

Sarah Atherton: A total of 37 serving Armed Forces personnel have been referred to the Prevent scheme since 1 January 2019. Information held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) indicates that two Service personnel have been identified as members of Generation Identity since 2019. Records held by MOD also indicate that one Service person has been identified as a member of a Proscribed Organisation under Section 3(6) of the Terrorism Act 2000. If an active investigation by Counter Terrorism Police or Service Police is undertaken against serving Armed Forces personnel, a risk assessment is conducted to identify any risks to the individual, the Armed Forces and the wider public from the member of the Armed Forces. Their duties, training and access to weapons or material will be taken into consideration and this may result in a change of duties or access privileges.

F-35 Aircraft: Components

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which major components of the UK's F-35 fleet have been bought in (a) GBP, (b) USD and (c) other currencies.

Alec Shelbrooke: The F-35 programme is managed through a US Government Joint Program Office (JPO) based in the USA, which places F-35 contracts with industry on behalf of the F-35 Partner Nations. These contracts cover major components incorporated in the UK's fleet. In accordance with US law and US federal acquisition rules and regulations, all the JPO's contracts are denominated in US dollars and the UK makes its payments to the JPO in US dollars.

Ministry of Defence: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s publication of spending over £500 using a government procurement card from January to May 2022, which five companies or venues received the highest shares of the £181,921.49 paid to suppliers under the merchant description Amusement/Rec Serv – Def’; and what was the nature of the services they provided.

Alec Shelbrooke: The five organisations that received the highest shares of ePC spend on the merchant description 'Amusement/Rec Serv - Def' between January and May 2022 and the main purpose of those payments are as follows:Ifly Indoor Skydiving - Parachute trainingSkydive Deland - Parachute display equipmentFragers Ltd - Virtual Reality training eventsSchuschule Neustift - Ski equipment relating to winter sports trainingDive Deep Blue - Underwater training expedition

USA: Foreign Relations

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has contributed to the British-American Project in the last 20 years.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any personnel from his Department have been selected for a British-American Project fellowship.

Sarah Atherton: There is no known funding or sponsorship from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to the British American Project in the last 20 years. The MOD is not aware of any links to the British American Project or personnel who have been selected for its Fellowships.

Armed Forces: Racial Discrimination

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle racism in the UK Armed Forces and (b) improve the racism complaints process for serving Armed Forces personnel.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints made by serving Armed Forces personnel made on alleged racism in the Armed Forces in each year since 2010.

Sarah Atherton: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that unacceptable behaviour, including racism, still occurs. MOD and the UK Armed Forces are committed to taking action to eradicate it and have a zero-tolerance approach. Defence, like many other organisations, does not yet represent society and it is essential that it does. We are committed to making the step changes required to create a more inclusive environment for all, enabling everyone, irrespective of background, to deliver our Defence outputs, enhance our operational effectiveness and better represent the nation we serve. Our department-wide Diversity and Inclusion strategy ​and Race Action Plan clearly sets out a challenging vision, goals, objectives and commitments of where we want to see change. We continue a wide programme of work to prevent and tackle unacceptable behaviour. All allegations of illegal or unacceptable behaviour are taken extremely seriously and investigated thoroughly. Service personnel have a number of routes to raise the issue, either with the police, within the Chain of Command or with Diversity and Inclusion Advisers. MOD has mandated Active Bystander training so that personnel have the skills to challenge unacceptable behaviour effectively when it does occur. Information on the number of complaints made due to alleged racism is not readily available and an answer could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Allegations of racism are captured through various mechanisms, including internal and external disciplinary proceedings, the Service Complaints system, informal complaints and the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey. Defence is working to improve its data capture of all unacceptable behaviour across the department.The Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF)'s annual report cites the issue of overrepresentation by ethnic minorities within the complaints system, but these complaints do not only concern racial discrimination. However, information from the single Services' annual statistical returns on Service Complaints to the SCOAF indicates that in 2019, five per cent of all bullying, harassment or discrimination Service Complaints concerned racial discrimination; this reduced to three per cent in 2020 and 2021.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment criteria his Department used for applications to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what reasons his Department has provided for rejecting applications to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme in the latest period for which data is available.

Sarah Atherton: Under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme the individual must show, on the balance of probabilities, that the claimed injury or illness was caused wholly or partly by service on or after 6th April 2005 and if partly, predominantly by service. Decisions are made in accordance with the legislation which governs the scheme namely the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme Order 2011 available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/517/contents Once it has been established that the individual’s injury or illness has met the eligibility criteria, the extent of the injury is assessed against the tariff descriptors included within the AFCS scheme rules. When an application does not meet the criteria, it is rejected. As each case is considered on its individual merits, the specific reasons for rejection are not recorded centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme: Digital Technology

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much and what proportion of the £40 million of funding for the transformation programme has been spent on the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme as of 30 September 2022.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the transformation programme to digitise existing paper based processes and create a single customer portal for veterans will be completed.

Sarah Atherton: The ongoing Transformation Programme to digitise existing paper based processes and create a single customer portal for Veterans aims to introduce automation, process improvements and significantly reduce paper holdings. It will also provide a single view of the claimant with online self-service provision enabling claimants to provide and retrieve information electronically and allow them to securely access details of their entitlement and payments. On current trajectory the first release of the new system is expected in late 2023 with further iterations being released through to late 2024. This will underpin the customer portal, which is being developed concurrently and is also expected for release late 2024. Payment for this programme is not due until final milestones are completed and as of 30 September no money has been transferred to the contractor for their work to date on the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

Ministry of Defence: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Department’s transparency data online publication of spending over £500 using a government procurement card from January to May 2022, what were the (a) locations and (b) purposes of the £11,957.08 spent under the merchant description ‘Eating Places/Restaurants’ on 25 April 2022.

Alec Shelbrooke: The purposes of the £11,957.08 spent using ePC on 25 April 2022 under the merchant descriptions 'Eating Places/Restaurants' are as follows:£10,307.08 - Mess catering for international students£1,650.00 - Hotel accommodation for personnel providing an escort role for in-UK movementsDue to the sensitive nature of some MOD activity, we cannot publish location information on a public forum.

Hercules Aircraft

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the expected out of service date is for the fleet of C130J Hercules tactical transport aircraft.

Alec Shelbrooke: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 September 2022 to Question 53303 to the right hon. Member for North Durham (Kevan Jones).Hercules Aircraft (docx, 21.1KB)

Ministry of Defence: Clubs

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence,  with reference to his Department’s publication of spending over £500 using a government procurement card from January to May 2022, which five companies or venues received the highest shares of the £69,585.97 paid to suppliers under the merchant description Member Clubs/Sport/Rec/Golf; and what was the main purpose of those payments.

Alec Shelbrooke: The five organisations that received the highest shares of ePC spend on the merchant group 'Member Clubs/Sport/Rec/Golf' between January and May 2022 and the main purpose of those payments are as follows:Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development - Professional memberships and personal developmentNuffield Health - Gym memberships to meet military requirementsJust Paintball - Cadet training equipmentMedway Yacht Club - Physical/Adventurous trainingSnowdome Ltd - Physical/Adventurous training

Ministry of Defence: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence,  with reference to his Department’s publication of spending over £500 using a government procurement card from January to May 2022, which five retailers received the highest shares of the £974,943.81 paid to suppliers under the merchant description Misc Specialty Retail; and what was the nature of the supplies they provided.

Alec Shelbrooke: The five organisations that received the highest shares of ePC spend on 'Misc Speciality Retail' between January and May 2022 and the main purpose of those payments are as follows:Amazon Marketplace - Too wide a range of goods to provide a meaningful answerPrometheus Medical Technology - Medical training equipmentLevel Peaks Associates - Camouflage Netting/Combat clothingDMM Climbing - Mountain climbing courses/equipmentOutdoor & Cycle Concepts Ltd - Adventurous training courses/equipment

Ministry of Defence: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s publication of spending over £500 using a government procurement card from January to May 2022, which five organisations received the highest shares of the £277,886.82 paid to member organisations; and what was the main purpose of those payments.

Alec Shelbrooke: The five organisations that received the highest shares of ePC spend on 'member organisations' between January and May 2022 and the main purpose of those payments are as follows:The Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) - professional qualifications/memberships (commercial staff)Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) - professional qualifications/memberships (infrastructure staff)Phonographic Performance Ltd/Performing Rights Society (PPL PRS) - Music licencesWilmington Plc - MOD police specialist trainingInstitute of Directors - Senior management training

Navantia: Shipbuilding

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with regard to the Fleet Solid Support Ship contract, whether his Department has considered the technical quality of the builds previously undertaken by Navantia in relation to (a) F-310 frigate contract for the Royal Norwegian Navy and (b) the auxiliary oiler replenishment contract for the Royal Australian Navy.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department requires companies that have been awarded shipbuilding contracts to undergo ongoing credit checks after contracts have been awarded.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that companies that are awarded shipbuilding contracts are able to pass credit checks for the leasing of (a) elevated work platforms and (b) other essential mechanical equipment.

Mr Ben Wallace: In answer to Questions 62719 and 62724 I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend, the then Minister for Defence Procurement (Jeremy Quin), gave him on 10 September 2021 in response to Question 44205. It would be inappropriate for the UK Government to comment on the commercial activities of other Governments. Fleet Solid Support Ships: Procurement (docx, 16.3KB)

Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made for the implications of his policies of the Integrated Review; and if he will make a Statement.

Mr Ben Wallace: Defence is supporting the Government's refresh of the Integrated Review. We welcome this opportunity to strengthen our capabilities and prioritise our activities to ensure the UK remains ready to deter adversaries and support UK interests in the new era of strategic competition. Taking lessons learned from the last year, we will build resilience and promote prosperity both domestically and across our global partner network. Any specific policy changes required for Defence will be determined once the update to the Integrated Review has concluded.

DNA: Testing

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of developing regulations to safeguard against the mis-use of DNA synthetic screening by the (a) armed forces and (b) defence industry.

Mr Ben Wallace: Defence has committed to adopting new technologies in a responsible way and responsible science was a key theme of the 2018 UK Biological Security Strategy. UKRI continues to promote this with UK industry through a responsible innovation campaign.

Space Technology: Manufacturing Industries

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to use procurement of space capabilities to support UK sovereign design and manufacturing capability in the space sector.

Alec Shelbrooke: Defence is investing £1.5 billion over 10 years in the acquisition and development of new technologies in Space Domain Awareness, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Command and Control, and Space Control. This is in addition to around £5 billion over the next decade to enhance our satellite communication capabilities (Skynet). These capability priorities are set out in the Defence Space Strategy, published in February 2021. This investment will play a part in stimulating innovation, commercialisation, and growth across the wider sector, from which UK industry is sure to benefit both directly and indirectly. Procurement of the Defence Space Portfolio (DSP) will also adhere to the principles set out in the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy, ensuring that along with value for money; social value, development of crucial skills, and the levelling up agenda are all considered when letting contracts. The contract for the DSP's first satellite was let in February 2022 for £22 million under Project TYCHE. It will be built by a UK company, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL).

Space Technology: Manufacturing Industries

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with (a) other Cabinet colleagues, and (b) the UK space industry on ensuring world-leading space capabilities continue to be (i) developed in, (ii) manufactured in, and (iii) exported from the UK.

Alec Shelbrooke: I will engage with industry on issues relating to the Defence and Security sector through forums such as the Defence Supplier Forum and with Cabinet colleagues, as required. Officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy are working on a Space Sector Policy aimed at encouraging growth and enhancing resilience across the sector, while driving export opportunities and supporting levelling up. This work forms part of the implementation of the 2021 National Space Strategy. Officials are engaging closely with the sector as we deliver this work. The Defence elements of this work will build on the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy and identify critical space capabilities that the UK must have the capacity to develop within the UK.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his department is taking to develop the UK's industrial capacity and skills required to design, test and manufacture armoured vehicles.

Alec Shelbrooke: In order to develop the UK’s industrial capacity and skills, the Department has this year published its first sector specific strategy for Land capabilities in the Land Industrial Strategy. This sets out the measures we intend to take as we plan and implement the modernisation and through life support of our Armoured Vehicle Fleet and related capabilities in the Land Sector.

Ajax Vehicles

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Head of REME will be required to sign off the safety guarantees associated with the AJAX Armoured Fighting Vehicle prior to that vehicle entering service.

Alec Shelbrooke: No. The relevant AJAX safety clearances associated with the vehicle(s) entering service will be signed off by Defence Equipment and Support and the Field Army. This is in line with the Ministry of Defence's safety management system.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the UK Armed Forces equipment and formation figures 2022, for what reason the 2022 figures show a reduction of 53 Armoured Fighting Vehicles by comparison to the 2021 figures.

Alec Shelbrooke: The reduction in the Armoured Fighting Vehicle fleet is primarily due to a partial withdrawal of Warrior and CVR(T) from service.This followed operational analysis which highlighted the requirement for the Army to reconsider how it creates the conditions for success in the close battle.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the UK Armed Forces equipment and formation figures 2022, for what reason the 2022 figures show a reduction of 263 Protected Mobility Fighting Vehicles by comparison to the 2021 figures.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Protected Mobility Fighting Vehicle (PM) fleet is made up of seven different vehicle families. The main reason for this reduction is the removal of the 218 Husky platforms from British Army service. This removal is part of ongoing work to rationalise the Land Fleet in order to benefit from increased commonality, modularity and opportunities of scale.Other reductions in the PM fleet are due to the routine process of disposals.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the UK Armed Forces equipment and formation figures 2022, for what reason the figures show a reduction of 29 Armoured Personnel Carriers by comparison to 2021.

Alec Shelbrooke: The reduction of 29 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) reflects ongoing activity to make the Army's equipment holdings more streamlined, efficient and better aligned to the user requirement.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any operational users have requested that the New Medium Helicopter has forward firing capabilities and precision guided munitions as part of platform protection.

Alec Shelbrooke: The detailed requirements for the New Medium Helicopter capability are being finalised, in collaboration with end users, and will be published as part of the second half of the programme's competition.

LE TacCIS Programme

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the current planned Initial Operating Capability for the Morpheus radio system.

Alec Shelbrooke: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer the previous Minister for Defence Procurement gave on 15 June 2022 to Questions 13638, 13639 and 13640 to the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne (John Healey).LE TacCIS Programme (docx, 16.7KB)

Russia: Chemical Weapons

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions has he had with his NATO counterparts on the potential risks posed by the use of chemical weapons by Russia in Ukraine.

Mr Ben Wallace: I regularly holds discussions with NATO allies on the situation in Ukraine and Russia's aggression. The Ministry of Defence continues to monitor the situation in Ukraine and is working closely with NATO allies to coordinate counter-CBRN support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Future Combat Air System

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (a) what definition his Department has set for initial operating capability for the Future Combat Air System; and (b) what are the estimated dates for (i) initial operating capability and (ii) full operating capability for the programme.

Mr Ben Wallace: Work on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) is progressing at pace, enabled by a digital-first approach that embraces new technologies, and early investment in Research and Development. We are targeting an in-service date of 2035. The definition set for initial operating capability is classified and I am withholding details as its disclosure would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces. FCAS initial operating capability is planned to provide a step-change to the capabilities it will replace, including Typhoon.

China: Foreign Companies

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on permitting Chinese state-owned companies to participate in the development of critical infrastructure in the UK.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Government reviews foreign involvement in the development of the UK's critical national infrastructure on a regular basis. The UK welcomes foreign investment, which can support jobs and growth, but the Government will not hesitate to act if our national security interests are threatened, irrespective of the foreign entities involved.

China: Foreign Companies

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for UK security of permitting Chinese state-owned companies to participate in the development of critical infrastructure in the UK.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Ministry of Defence contributes to cross-Government assessments on national security risks which may be triggered by foreign involvement in the development of critical infrastructure in the UK. Projects are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, irrespective of the foreign entities involved.

Military Aircraft: Procurement

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that a 6th generation air system replacement for the Typhoon aircraft is (a) designed and (b) manufactured in the UK.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Integrated Review confirmed our intent to develop a Future Combat Air System (FCAS) as a replacement for the capability provided by our Typhoon fast-jets. The 2018 Combat Air Strategy and 2021 Defence and Security Industrial Strategy both outline the importance of sustaining national defence industrial capability. In the summer of 2021, we awarded the national contract, initially worth £250 million, for concept and assessment work under the FCAS Acquisition Programme. This was awarded to BAE Systems, Leonardo, MBDA and Rolls-Royce (Team Tempest), with flow through to the wider national supply chain. The Concept & Assessment Phase will define the capability we require and invest in the skills and infrastructure needed to deliver it. Our Team Tempest partners now have 2,500 people working on FCAS across the UK, with many more in the supply chain, and this number is growing. Under the Acquisition Programme, £1 billion has already been invested in UK Research & Development through the FCAS Technology Initiative, with a further £1 billion set to be invested over the coming years. This is laying the groundwork for the programme's later stages, with the aim of delivering FCAS in a shorter timeframe than previous programmes.

National Flagship: Procurement

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (a) what definition his Department has set for initial operating capability for the new national flagship announced on 30 May 2021; and (b) what are the estimated dates for (i) initial operating capability and (ii) full operating capability for the programme.

Mr Ben Wallace: The design competition for the National Flagship is ongoing and no winning bidder has yet been selected. Until the design competition has concluded, and a manufacture contract has been awarded, it is not possible to set initial or full operating capability dates or the definitions of those milestones.

Defence: Research

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the potential impact of the UK's relationship with the Horizon Europe programme on the ability of research and development companies in the defence sector to acquire funding.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has been personally involved in formal consultations with the EU over the UK’s bid to access the Horizon Europe programme.

Mr Ben Wallace: I regularly discuss a range of matters with Cabinet colleagues, including the Secretary of State for BEIS. Ministry of Defence officials are engaging on this topic.

Courts Martial: Crimes of Violence

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many cases of (a) murder (b) manslaughter (c) rape and (d) sexual assault were tried through Courts Martial in each of the last five years; and how many convictions were made.

Sarah Atherton: Defence has been clear that unacceptable behaviour and criminality has no place in the Armed Forces and will not be tolerated. Those who fail to meet our values and standards will be dealt with appropriately, which includes the use of administrative, disciplinary, or misconduct action. The requested information is published in the Court Martial results from the Military Court Centres, available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/court-martial-results-from-the-military-court-centres

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the number of military homes owned by Annington Homes that are awaiting repairs.

Alec Shelbrooke: On 13 October 2022, there were 13,910 open work orders for repairs at Service Family Accommodation (SFA), which the Defence Infrastructure Organisation leases from Annington Homes Limited.The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has approximately 47,900 SFA properties in the UK, of which 37,100 are leased from Annington Homes Limited. The remainder are either MOD owned or leased from other providers.

Fleet Solid Support Ships: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what workshare value he expects to achieve in the Fleet Solid Support Ship contract.

Alec Shelbrooke: The final workshare value in the Fleet Solid Support ship contract will be dependent on the winning Bidder's proposal. A significant proportion of the build and assembly work will be carried out in the UK including the integration and fitting of sensitive systems.

Fleet Solid Support Ships

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department defines the fleet solid support ship as a warship.

Alec Shelbrooke: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave him on 30 June 2022 to Question 23720.Fleet Solid Support Ships (docx, 21.1KB)

Fleet Solid Support Ships: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Fleet Solid Support ship contract, whether safeguards are in place to prevent the winning bid price dumping.

Alec Shelbrooke: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave him on 10 September 2021 to Question 44205.Fleet Solid Support Ships: Procurement (docx, 16.3KB)

Armed Forces: Discharges

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, under what circumstances a discharge with pension would be applied to a member of the Armed Forces.

Sarah Atherton: There are three different pension schemes from which a Veteran could receive an immediate pension upon discharge. Details of each are below:1. Under AFPS 75a) If a member of the Armed Forces leaves Service at age 55 or over and they have completed 34 years Service (as an Officer) or 37 years Service (as Other Rank), they will be entitled to a Full Career Immediate Pension paid on the date of retirement.b) If they leave Service before age 55 and have completed at least 16 years Service (as an Officer) or 22 years Service (as Other Rank), they will be entitled to an Immediate Pension.c) If they leave Service but have not completed the required years to receive an Immediate Pension, they will become a Deferred Member and will be entitled to a Deferred pension paid at pension benefit age. This is age 60 for Service up to and including 6th April 2006, and age 65 for Service after 6th April 2006.d) If the member is in Regular Service and leaves the Service before age 60, they might also be eligible for an ill-health pension or Resettlement Grant.2. Under AFPS 05a) If a member leaves the Service at age 55 (normal pension age) or over, they will be entitled to an Immediate Pension.b) If they leave the Service before age 55, they will become a Deferred member and will be entitled to a Deferred pension paid at age 65 (pension benefit age). They might also be eligible for:i) Early Departure Payment (EDP). An EDP Scheme aims to retain personnel in Service through to at least age 40 and to compensate for the fact that a full career to age 55 (normal pension age) or beyond is not available to the majority of personnel. The EDP is a benefit which is entirely separate to any pension you may be entitled to and, in the Public Sector, is unique to the Armed Forces.ii) Ill-health pensioniii) Resettlement Grant3. Under AFPS 15a) If a member of the Armed Forces leaves the Service at age 60 (normal pension age) or over, they will be entitled to an Immediate pension.b) If they leave the Service before age 60 (normal pension age), they will become a Deferred member and will be entitled to a Deferred pension paid at State Pension Age. If they are in Regular Service and leave the Services before age 60, they might also be eligible for either:i) Early Departure Payment (EDP)ii) Ill-health pensioniii) Resettlement Grant

Department for Work and Pensions

Cost of Living Payments: Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency did not receive the first cost of living benefit instalment due to them receiving a nil award during the relevant Universal Credit assessment period.

Victoria Prentis: There were 1,200 households containing 1,400 claimants in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport who have not received the first Cost of Living Payment due to a nil award. Notes:Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred. Great Britain level figures have been provided. Nil awards have been defined as households that received a £0 Universal Credit payment and had no deductions for advance repayments, third party debts or government debts and had no money paid directly to their landlord by Universal Credit.Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available. The methodology used is different to those used to derive the Official Statistics Household series and therefore, figures may not be comparable.The methodology and data source may be slightly different to those used to derive entitlement to the Cost-of-Living Payment.

Cost of Living Payments

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit and tax credit claimants have reported a missing Cost of Living Payment via the Government's online reporting tool; and what estimate she has made of how many and what proportion of those reports have been processed as of 22 September 2022.

Victoria Prentis: As of 26 September 2022, 161,839 claimants have reported a missing Cost of Living Payment via the Government's online reporting tool, of these reports 138,496 have been processed. Tax credits customers were directed to the tax credits helpline and not the online tool. This does not necessarily mean that payments have been missed. Enquiries made through the GOV.UK form are resolved by payments being subsequently made as planned. In some cases, on further investigation of an enquiry, it may be found that the claimant had no entitlement to a £326 Cost of Living Payment.

Universal Credit

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) what percentage of the 2.6 million people who were claiming legacy benefits in April 2022 have now undergone managed migration to universal credit and (b) what recent assessment she has made of the (i) financial and (ii) emotional impact of managed migration on legacy benefits claimants.

Victoria Prentis: Managed Migration is a three-year process scheduled to end in 2024 and 55% of people will be better off on Universal credit per month. In May 2022, DWP began a discovery phase, in line with best practice for agile projects, this phase using the findings from Discovery takes a multi-location approach across the country with small number of claimants, we will continue to develop our processes and systems to ensure the transition to Universal Credit works as smoothly as possible before we proceed to scale the migration process.

Universal Credit: Cost of Living Payments

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2022 to Question 49154, how many Universal Credit claimants who received a nil award also did not qualify for the cost of living payment.

Victoria Prentis: Universal Credit households can receive a nil award for various reasons. The majority of nil awards are due to household earnings. Other reasons that can cause or contribute to a nil award include capital, other income, other benefits, sanctions and fraud penalties. 498,700 households containing 594,400 UC claimants had a nil Universal Credit award in the qualifying assessment period and therefore were not eligible for the cost-of-living payment. Notes:1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.2. Great Britain level figures have been provided.3. Nil awards have been defined as households that received a £0 Universal Credit payment and had no deductions for advance repayments, third party debts or government debts and had no money paid directly to their landlord by Universal Credit.4. Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.5. The methodology used is different to those used to derive the Official Statistics Household series and therefore, figures may not be comparable.6. The methodology and data source may be slightly different to those used to derive entitlement to the Cost-of-Living Payment.

Universal Credit: Older People

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of people who are over the age of 50, in receipt of universal credit and left their previous employment due to ill health in the last five years as of 10 October 2022.

Victoria Prentis: Although we are able to identify claimants who have left employment and subsequently claimed Universal Credit with a reported health condition, we are not able to determine that they left employment as a result of ill health. To complete the full picture and to provide an accurate estimate, we would also need to consider claimants who left employment due to ill health and applied for Employment and Support Allowance, where UC had not rolled out. Finally, any analysis would need to take into account policy changes to the UC Health Journey that occurred during the pandemic. These issues combined take this reply beyond the cost limit.

Universal Credit: National Insurance Contributions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were in receipt of Universal Credit and not credited with Class 3 National Insurance contributions in the latest period for which data is available.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people on Jobseeker's Allowance were not receiving Class 1 National Insurance credits in the latest period for which data is available.

Victoria Prentis: All claimants in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance are entitled to receive Class 1 National Insurance credits and these are awarded automatically on an annual basis. Claimants cannot receive Class 1 National Insurance Credits in any week where their award is reduced by a sanction. DWP does not hold data on each individual’s National Insurance credits. Any UC claimant not receiving these credits should contact HMRC.

Maternity Pay: Cost of Living

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) stakeholders on the adequacy of Statutory Maternity Pay, in light of the cost of living crisis.

Claire Coutinho: The Secretary of State regularly meets with Cabinet colleagues and other stakeholders to discuss a range of topics. The rate of Statutory Maternity Pay is reviewed annually by the Secretary of State. The review will commence shortly, and her decisions will be announced to Parliament in the normal way later this year. Any new rates will become payable from April 2023.

Children: Maintenance

Cherilyn Mackrory: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the enforcement procedures are for not payment of Child Maintenance Payments; and whether those procedures are subject to regular assessments of effectiveness.

Claire Coutinho: The Child Maintenance Group has the following powers which can be applied immediately if payment compliance cannot be re-established and are subject to fixed charges: deduction of earnings order. £50.00 chargededuction from earnings request. £50.00 chargeIf the paying parent is self-employed or not employed, we can apply: regular deduction order. £50.00 charge.lump sum deduction order. £200.00 chargeIf a bank account is not identified or there are no or insufficient funds available to permit any deduction order, the case will be referred for consideration and instigation of Legal Enforcement action to secure what is owed, and always to strive for long term payment compliance. The following Enforcement powers available are: lump sum deduction orderregular deduction orderfreezing orderset aside disposition orderliability order £300 chargeregistering liability order at county court (England and Wales)registering liability with the Register of Judgements, Orders and Finesregistering liability with the Enforcement of Judgments Office (Northern Ireland)charging order (England and Wales)order for saleenforcement agent action (England and Wales)third party debt order (England and Wales)disqualification from holding or obtaining a driving licensecommitment to prisondisqualification from holding or obtaining a passport (England and Wales only) Throughout the Enforcement process, the case will continuously be reviewed to determine whether previously unsuccessful action may now be successful. CMG regularly reviews Enforcement procedures and policies to continuously improve efficiency and effectiveness. Legislation and policy are similarly reviewed with policy colleagues to consider whether other actions should be introduced. In December 2018 new legislation was introduced in England, Scotland and Wales to request a non-compliant paying parent is disqualified from holding or obtaining a UK passport. The Curfew sanction will be introduced in December 2022 to be available for implementation in early 2023.

Department for Work and Pensions: Offices

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work stations were available for civil servants to use in the headquarters of her Department on 11 October 2022.

Claire Coutinho: London Caxton House 991 workstationsLeeds Quarry House 1,215 workstations This is consistent with our cabinet office return.

Universal Credit

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of Universal Credit provisions for mixed-age couples who were previously (a) eligible for Housing Benefit and (b) found to have limited capability for work.

Victoria Prentis: Universal Credit (UC) supports people who are on a low income or out of work and helps to ensure that they are better off in work than on benefits. It provides claimants with the support they need to prepare for work, move into work, or to earn more if already in work. In return claimants need to accept a Claimant Commitment following a conversation with their work coach. The claimant commitment sets out what the claimant has agreed to do to prepare for and look for work, or to increase their earnings if already employed. It’s based on the claimant’s personal circumstances, and this is reviewed and updated on a regular basis.It replaces:Income-based Jobseeker’s AllowanceIncome-based Employment and Support AllowanceIncome SupportWorking Tax CreditChild Tax CreditHousing Benefit It improves work incentives by introducing a smoother, more transparent reduction of benefits at a consistent and predictable rate when people move into work and increase their earnings. A single taper is applied as earnings rise and some claimants will also receive a work allowance depending on their circumstances.It also reduces the complexity of the working age benefits system and removes the distinction between in work and out-of-work support, thus making clear the potential gains of work and reducing the risks associated with moves into employment.No recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of Universal Credit provisions for mixed-age couples who were previously (a) eligible for Housing Benefit and (b) found to have limited capability for work.

Social Security Benefits: Energy

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to take steps to provide help with high energy costs to people who are receiving non means-tested benefits.

Victoria Prentis: The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Government has announced unprecedented support within its Growth Plan to protect households and businesses from high energy prices. The Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme are supporting millions of households and businesses with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear, they will continue to do so from now until April next year. The consumer saving will be based on usage, but a typical household will save at least £1,000 a year (based on current prices from October). This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost-of-living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.The £37bn of support also includes more than 8 million pensioner households receiving a one-off payment of £300 alongside the Winter Fuel Payment from November, and 6 million eligible disabled people receiving a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 from 20 September. Also included in the cost-of-living support is the current Household Support Fund in England, which will be providing up to £421m of support to those most in need for the period October 2022 - March 2023.The devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula as usual.

Carer's Allowance: Cost of Living Payments

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason Carers Allowance has been excluded from the list of qualifying benefits for receipt of the Cost of Living payment.

Victoria Prentis: This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers every day in providing significant care and continuity of support to family and friends, including pensioners and those with disabilities. The Cost-of-Living Payment is being targeted at households who are in receipt of a means-tested income replacement benefit. Carers Allowance is a non means tested benefit. Carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Nearly 60% of carers on low incomes who are of working age and on Carer’s Allowance also claim an income-related benefit through which they may be entitled to receive a Cost-of-Living Payment. Six million people in receipt of an eligible disability benefit will also receive the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment. This includes carers who are themselves in receipt of a qualifying benefit. All Carer’s Allowance recipients who are domestic energy customers will benefit from the new “Energy Price Guarantee” this is in addition to the over £37bn of cost-of-living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. In England those who pay Council Tax should have also received a £150 rebate. In addition, to support people who need additional help, the Government is providing an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing total funding for this support to £1.5 billion. In Scotland this is taking the form of an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £41m, running from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023.

Cost of Living Payments: Disability

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of (a) the number and (b) the percentage of people who are eligible to receive the Disability Cost of Living Payment but who had not received it by 12 October 2022.

Victoria Prentis: It is not possible to determine how many people are due a Cost-of-Living Payment, as entitlement may not have been established at the time the payments were made. We will periodically make payments to people who have later been found to be eligible and have not yet received a payment. The payments will continue to be made automatically in the same way the qualifying benefit or tax credit is paid.The Department for Work and Pensions has published management information on the total number of disability Cost of Living Payments made.As of 30 September 2022, 6,000,000 disability Cost of Living payments, had been made.The information which will be updated as new payments are made can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-living-payment-management-information/cost-of-living-payment-management-informationCost of Living Payment management information – Cost of Living Payment management information – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).The timetable for when cost of living payments are made is published here: Cost of Living Payment – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current practice of including industrial injuries disablement benefit when considering a claimant's total income to calculate awards for additional means-tested benefits.

Victoria Prentis: Means-tested benefit calculations consider most forms of income, including other benefits provided by the Department for Work and Pensions. Exemptions are only implemented where exceptional circumstances apply. There are no plans to disregard income from Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) when making assessments for other means-tested benefits. However, any increase in IIDB payments for Constant Attendance Allowance or Exceptionally Severe Disablement Allowance is fully exempt from assessment for means-tested benefits.

Household Support Fund

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to evaluate the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund between 6 October 2021 to 30 September 2022.

Victoria Prentis: For the purposes of the Household Support Fund, the Department for Work and Pensions requires that Local Authorities provide management information (MI) returns to the department to outline their spend. For the first two iterations of the Household Support Fund between 6 October 2021 and 30 September 2022, these MI returns record the Local Authority’s grant allocation, spend and volume of awards made in relation to food, energy and water bills, essentials linked to energy and water bills, wider essentials, and housing costs. Almost 9 million awards were made for the period 06 October 2021 and 31 March 2022 and the MI for this scheme can be found here. For the second iteration of the Household Support Fund, 1 April 2022 to 30 September 2022, the Management Information, including Local Authority spend levels, will be published in due course.

Household Support Fund

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on extending the Household Support Fund past 30 September 2022.

Victoria Prentis: The Government is providing an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, bringing the total funding for this support to £1.5 billion. As announced on 26 May, £421 million is already being provided to extend the existing Household Support Fund in England from 01 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. Guidance and individual local authority allocations for this further extension to the Household Support Fund have been shared with Local Authorities and will be published soon. The devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula.

Universal Credit: Armed Forces

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on trends in the number of serving armed forces personnel who are claiming Universal Credit.

Victoria Prentis: The data we hold reflects the fact that month, on month DWP is asking more Universal Credit (UC) claimants about their Armed Forces status. They do not necessarily indicate more demand for UC from serving personnel or veterans due to rises in the cost of living or any other factor. Both veterans and serving personnel may be able to benefit from cost-of-living measures already put in place by the Government, this includes the new “Energy Price Guarantee” which will ensure that a typical household in Great Britain pays an average £2,500 a year on their energy bill from 1 October 2022. The consumer saving will be based on usage, but a typical household will save at least £1,000 a year (based on current prices from October). Also included is the over £37bn of cost-of-living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme as well as additional targeted support for those on lower incomes.

Universal Credit: Armed Forces

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households with serving Armed Forces personnel are currently claiming Universal Credit.

Victoria Prentis: The information requested is not available.

Small Businesses: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department are taking to support small businesses in the North East of England recruit staff.

Victoria Prentis: DWP provides a wide range of support to employers, including small employers, across the North East. This includes discussing and assessing individual need so that subsequently, a tailored package of support can be developed and deployed. Examples:  Employer Advisors engage regularly with employers. They look at which employers are advertising jobs on websites and where possible, make contact to talk to them about how the Job Centre can support their recruitment. Local businesses are invited to our Job Centres to meet the team to raise awareness about how we can support them. Also, our Employer Advisors visit businesses, again to promote our service offer. We provide space in our offices for employers to conduct interviews, and, where desirable, can offer a pre interview screening service so that employers only get to interview the most suitable candidates. We can also support with sifting of CVs. Within employer conversations, we also advise employers on any trends we have identified within our customer cohorts for example, around desired shift patterns, and transport links to help ensure that vacancies are as attractive as possible to the customers they are targeting. We also support recruitment through our Sectoral Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) which amongst other things, include an upskilling element for potential candidates to help them gain the necessary skills and qualifications required for specific employer vacancies. In addition, we invite small businesses to take part in any local jobs fairs which gives them the opportunity to speak to our customers face to face. We work very closely with all of our councils and local MPs in the North East on new developments and new businesses so that we get the opportunity to engage early. As an example, in Northumberland, we are working closely with the Northumberland train line development by linking in with employers who are on the proposed train route to talk about forward plans and explore what their recruitment needs might look like. Many of these are small businesses. This link up is with the North of Tyne Combined Authority, Network Rail and a variety of contractors.

Jobcentre Plus: Training

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training has been provided on domestic abuse to Job Centre Plus staff in the last two years.

Victoria Prentis: All work coaches receive mandatory training developed and reviewed by domestic abuse partner organisations. Each site has access to their District Provision Toolkit which enables colleagues to support with complex needs. At a local level, Jobcentres have link and local agreements with a network of charities with whom we work in partnership to provide support for victims of domestic abuse.

Energy: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has with Cabinet colleagues on supporting disabled people in Newport Bills with rising energy bills for electrical equipment, including medical equipment.

Claire Coutinho: The Secretary of State and I have regular discussions across Government on a range of issues. The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living, including disabled people, and has taken further, decisive action to support people with their energy bills. We have taken action though our new Energy Price Guarantee from 1 October. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year which includes: the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme;a Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 to six million people in recognition of the extra costs they face, including with energy costs;up to £650 in Cost of Living Payments for the eight million households in receipt of a means-tested benefit;a one-off payment of £300 through, and as an addition to, the Winter Fuel Payment from November to pensioner households.

Disability: Playgrounds

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2022 to Question 45528 on Disability: Playgrounds, what steps (a) her Department and (b) Ministerial Disability Champions are taking to track progress on increasing the accessibility of playgrounds; and how that progress is being measured.

Claire Coutinho: I refer my right honourable friend to my answer to question 45528. The Secretary of State for DWP, Chloe Smith, and I remain committed to improving disabled people’s lives and continue to meet colleagues across government to push work in this space forward.

Department for Work and Pensions: Consultants

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June to Question 17170, if she will publish a breakdown of her Department's spending on consultants in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021.

Claire Coutinho: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) publishes details about headcount and payroll costs for permanent staff and contractors on GOV.UK, monthly. DWP workforce management information - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The DWP consultancy spend for the financial years ending 2018 through to 2022 is shown below. 2018/19 £4,446,1692019/20 £4,570,6652020/21 £1,284,8612021/22 £1,041,058DWP publishes individual contract data on all contracts valued at £10,000 and over onContracts Finder - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Personal Independence Payment: Underpayments

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average wait time is for her Department to correct underpayment errors for Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

Claire Coutinho: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Work Capability Assessment

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 5 September 2022 to Question 40729 and of 11 October 2022 to Question 53261 on Universal Credit Work Capability Assessments, what the aggregate number of Universal Credit Work Capability Assessment Mandatory Reconsideration (a) registrations, (b) clearances and (c) outcomes was in each of the most recent 12 months for which data is available.

Claire Coutinho: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions: Ministerial Responsibility

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason she has demoted the Minister for Disabled People role from a Minister of State position to a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of demoting the Minister for Disabled People to a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

Claire Coutinho: The role of Minister for Disabled People, Health & Work has always been, and remains, an important Ministerial post. My responsibilities as listed on GOV.UK puts disability policy and disabled people at the heart of what this Government does and what it wants to achieve. The Secretary of State will have strategic oversight of disability policy and cross-government responsibility for disabled people. I will continue to work closely with the Secretary of State to ensure this work remains a central pillar in the Department’s work to improve outcomes for disabled people. Our aim is to have a positive impact on the lives of disabled people providing them with help and support for those who are unable to work. The Government is building on our success in supporting 1.3 million disabled people into work since 2017 and continuing to reduce the disability employment gap. The forthcoming White Paper will set out more detail on future plans to support disabled people.

Cold Weather Payments

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Cold Weather Payments have been distributed since that scheme's inception; and how much her Department has spent on those payments per annum.

Claire Coutinho: The current system of cold weather payments was introduced in 1988. The payment is a fixed amount for each week of cold weather. From 1995 this was set at £8.50 a week. The Cold Weather Payment was temporarily increased from £8.50 to £25 for the winters of 2008/9 and 2009/10. This increase was made permanent in November 2010.The table below shows the number of Cold Weather payments made and total expenditure in each year since 1988-89. 21/22 is due to be published in the next Annual Social Fund Report so has not been included below.  No. of cold weather payments (000)Expenditure (£m)1988-890.50.0031989-90N/A0.41990-91N/A9.31991-923,82723.01992-932,50315.01993-942,06412.41994-95110.11995-967,25261.61996-974,96442.21997-98550.51998-99260.21999-001141.02000-013,53530.02001-021,80415.32002-031,67514.22003-044183.52004-052131.82005-069888.42006-074023.42007-084724.02008-098,416210.42009-1011,590289.72010-1117,232430.82011-125,167129.22012-135,845146.12013-1410.032014-1542210.62015-161553.92016-171313.12017-184,572114.32018-19107927.02019-20100.32020-213,95198.8 Notes N/A= not availableFigures are for payments triggered in the relevant financial year.There was a single level of payment each year, except in 1990-91 when the level of payment was increased during the year. A breakdown of the number  of payments for that year by level is not available. 3. Some people were made more than one payment in some years.Numbers of payments made are rounded to the nearest 1,000, except for  1988-89 where the number of payments is rounded to the nearest 100.  Amounts spent are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million, except for 1988-89  where the amount spent is rounded to the nearest £1,000.Data are not available on the numbers of payments received (as opposed  to made) or on the numbers of people who received payments. However, the  vast majority of payments are now made direct into bank accounts.Source: Annual reports by the Secretary of State for Social Security/Work and  Pensions on the Social Fund

Disability: Departmental Coordination

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to convene the cross-departmental working group on the National Disability Strategy.

Claire Coutinho: I refer to the update placed in the House of Commons library on the 27/09/22, available here:https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2284652/files We are fully committed to supporting disabled people in the UK through creating more opportunities, protecting their rights and ensuring they fully benefit from, and can contribute to, every aspect of our society.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessments she has made of the adequacy of disability benefits in supporting constituents with mortgage repayments.

Claire Coutinho: Support for homeowners in receipt of income-related benefits, including disabled people on those benefits, is available in the form of Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), an interest-bearing loan offered at the same rate it was as a benefit. SMI provides support for homeowners who are unable to meet their mortgage repayments due to illness, unemployment or other personal crisis or income shocks. The primary purpose of SMI is to help people meet their existing mortgage commitments so that they can stay in their homes without fear of repossession.

Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Prime Minister on ensuring the needs of disabled people remain at the heart of the Government policy.

Claire Coutinho: Ensuring the voice of disabled people is properly heard is a priority for government. We will continue to engage closely with disabled people and disabled people’s organisations.The Disability Unit was established in November 2019 within the Cabinet Office to bring a fresh cross-government approach to disability into the heart of government and to transform the lives of disabled people across the UK. In the same year, we set out our 2019 manifesto commitment to empower and support disabled people. Following the publication of ‘Shaping future support: The Health and Disability Green Paper’, we heard from more than 4,500 people and organisations on what proposals we should take forward to improve the health and disability benefits system. We will respond to this Green Paper consultation with a White Paper later this year.

Employment and Support Allowance: National Insurance Credits

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance were not receiving Class 1 National Insurance credits in the latest period for which data is available.

Claire Coutinho: All claimants in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance are awarded Class 1 National Insurance credits.

Children: Maintenance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Ninth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Session 2022–23, on Child Maintenance, when her Department plans to respond to the recommendation that her Department undertake a detailed review of the child maintenance system.

Claire Coutinho: The Department’s response to the Ninth Report of the Public Accounts Committee was published on September 29th 2022.

Disability: Cost of Living

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she will take steps to provide additional targeted support to disabled people in response to increases in (a) the cost of living and (b) inflation.

Claire Coutinho: The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so from now until April next year. In addition, the Government will provide a £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. We know disabled people may face a wide range of additional costs and that is why we have made a further £150 cost of living payment to people who receive qualifying disability benefits. This £150 can be paid on top of the £650 in cost of living payments (paid in two separate payments of £326 and £324) to low-income households on a qualifying means-tested benefit and a one-off payment of £300 alongside the Winter Fuel Payment from November to pensioner households.

Department for Work and Pensions: Staff

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 September 2022 to Question 47643, on Department for Work and Pensions: Staff, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the increase in her Department's spend on staff working on Mandatory Reconsideration between 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Claire Coutinho: During 2020/21 approximately 200 staff working in the Disputes Resolution Service (DRS) in DWP, including those working on Mandatory Reconsiderations and appeals, were redeployed to other critical parts of DWP to support delivery of vital frontline customer and payment services in the Pandemic. Costs were attributed to the other parts of DWP e.g. Universal Credit, and not recharged to DRS. For 2021/22 DRS people had returned to delivering Mandatory Reconsiderations and therefore their costs were attributable to DRS. DRS also recruited 52 FTE in 2021/22 to support Dispute Resolution Services.

Department for Work and Pensions: Staff

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of her Department's budget was spent on staffing in each year since 2015; and if she will publish a breakdown of the number of people her Department employs at each grade.

Claire Coutinho: Please see the tables below for the staffing costs and grade breakdown.   £000's%  Staff CostsBudgetTotal Staffing Costs v Budget2015-162,700,0486,734,58140.1%2016-172,786,3336,567,06542.4%2017-182,819,8806,738,64841.8%2018-192,975,4036,419,61046.3%2019-203,042,8125,964,04051.0%2020-213,497,9137,575,62346.2%2021-223,865,5529,815,37439.4% Source: Staff Costs - DWP Annual Report and Accounts - www.GOV.UK; Budget - DWP Management Accounts  DWP staffing summary data is not held for the 2015 year Mar-16Mar-17Mar-18Mar-19Mar-20Mar-21Mar-22A/AA826.37402.96393.95360.10253.61238.62227.55B/AO31,306.7429,174.8627,681.8226,714.8024,079.6724,866.1324,810.34C/EO31,618.0133,840.6534,646.2934,370.2132,754.9143,952.6843,293.76D/HEO6,129.846,263.576,606.886,909.716,500.616,766.956,774.32E/SEO2,397.552,429.052,392.972,469.442,536.492,704.033,316.93F/G71,549.671,640.901,562.101,656.201,734.991,906.152,483.23G/G6615.26595.89603.91651.24724.43747.54934.29SCS218.62200.65191.58209.51209.57232.98258.28Grand Total74,662.0674,548.5374,079.5073,341.2168,794.2881,415.0882,098.70* All data as at 31st of the month FTE ONS definition

Department for Work and Pensions: Disclosure of Information

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many subject access requests her Department has (a) received and (b) responded to within the statutory limit in the last five years.

Claire Coutinho: In replying to the Parliamentary Question, I have taken the “last five years” to refer to the period 1/9/2017 to 30/9/2022 inclusive. Prior to GDPR coming into force on 25/5/2018, Subject Access Requests (SARs) were actioned by Local Data Disclosure Officers at District level. Therefore, there is no DWP MI available regarding the receipt or clearance of SARs prior to this date. From 25/5/2018, the SAR process in DWP was centralised. However, the administration of SARs did not start to transition to the eCase software until July 2018, and further SARs in respect of Compensation Recovery Unit only were managed by a separate team at that time. Therefore, full and/or accurate MI is not available for this period, nor is the information still available to retrospectively create it due the information retention period. From December 2018, DWP commenced monthly reporting of SAR performance to the ICO. Full and accurate MI is available from this date. Therefore, the following information relates to SARs received or completed from 1/12/2018 to 30/09/2022 inclusive. YearFromToSARs  ReceivedSARs Closed (Complete)SARs Closed (Complete) within statutory limitSAR's Closed NRN201801/12/201831/12/2018340426351959379201901/01/201931/12/20195543849266391025057202001/01/202031/12/20203884933657241975971202101/01/202131/12/20213488426937236119866202201/01/202230/09/20222503118409167754999  Not all Subject Access Requests received will progress to be processed & records released. Some requests require further clarification to verify the identity of the requester. Where this is not provided the SAR is not validated and will be Closed NRN (No Response Necessary). Also, other requests may later be identified as not being a SAR, but for other areas of DWP. These will also be Closed NRN. I have therefore included the volume of SARS that were Closed NRN over the same period.

Personal Independence Payment

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department plans to publish further details on the procedure that will be used for Personal Independence Payment light touch reviews.

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of light touch reviews for Personal Independence Payments on the wellbeing of people with (a) Parkinson's disease and (b) other long-term conditions.

Claire Coutinho: Personal Independence Payment is based on regular reviews to ensure individuals receive the right award reflecting any changes in their condition. The principle of a 10 year light touch review for ongoing awards was introduced in 2013. The first claims of 10 year duration are now coming due for review. We are currently reviewing the design of the light touch review process following helpful insight provided to us by stakeholders, including by Parkinson’s UK and other organisations representing people with long-term conditions. Our aim is to have the minimum necessary contact with the claimant to check whether anything has changed, adjust the award if needed, and ensure we hold up to date information.

Personal Independence Payment: Cost of Living Payments

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many outstanding Personal Independence Payment claims there were at the start of the cost of living payment rollout on 20 September 2022.

Claire Coutinho: On 20th September 2022 there were around 264,000 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) new claims outstanding that had not had an initial decision. This data includes claimants who registered their claim on or before 25th May 2022 and who may be entitled to a Disability Cost of Living Payment subject to their PIP decision and those who registered their claim after 25th May 2022 and would therefore not be eligible for such a payment. Notes:Source: PIP Atomic Data StoreThis is unpublished data. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision.This data includes claimants waiting for an initial decision on their claim only, and does not include any claimants that have received an initial decision and are awaiting the outcome of any outstanding mandatory reconsiderations or appealsFigures have been rounded to the nearest 1,000Data covers Great Britain only

Cold Weather Payments

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times the Cold Weather Payments scheme has been triggered in the last two years; how much money has been distributed as part of this scheme; and whether the scheme uses ringfenced funds.

Alex Burghart: A breakdown of triggers by country along with number of payments can be found in the official statistics for cold weather payment (CWP) estimates here: Cold Weather Payment estimates: 2021 to 2022- GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Expenditure on Cold Weather Payments can be found in the Annual Social Fund Reports here Social Fund annual report 2020 to 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The 21/22 report is due to be published in the near future and thus 21/22 expenditure is an estimate based on the Cold Weather Payment Official Statistics. Cold Weather Payments are not ring-fenced. Funding for the Cold Weather Payment scheme is demand driven and expenditure varies each year depending on how cold the winter is.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Air Pollution: Pollution Control

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the National Air Pollution Control Plan.

Trudy Harrison: A consultation on a revised National Air Pollution Control Plan was launched on 25th July 2022 and closed on the 4th September 2022. The responses to the consultation are currently being carefully considered.

Stocks and Shares: Water Companies

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of stock buybacks in the last financial year were made by water companies.

Trudy Harrison: There are three publicly listed water companies operating in England: United Utilities; Pennon Group; and Severn Trent. Listed water companies publish details of their decisions relating to share issuance and repurchasing in their annual reports. These reports are available online (links below):United Utilities - United Utilities Group PLC - Year in Review 2022 (annualreport2022.com)Pennon Group - Pennon Group PLC - Annual Report and Accounts 2022 (pennon-group.co.uk)Severn Trent - Results, reports and presentations | Investors | Severn Trent Plc

Beaches: Sewage

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish a breakdown of the number of beach closures in England and Wales as a result of sewage pollution incidents in each year since 2010.

Trudy Harrison: Neither my Department nor the Environment Agency holds information on the number of beach closures due to sewage pollution in England. Local authorities have powers to restrict use and close beaches and are responsible for local beach management, including closures, in their respective areas. This policy area is devolved to the Welsh Government.

Marine Environment

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect the UK's marine environment.

Trudy Harrison: Our statutory UK Marine Strategy sets out a vision for UK waters to achieve clean, safe, healthy biologically diverse and productive seas, which are used sustainably. The Strategy provides a legal framework, agreed with the devolved administrations, for assessing and monitoring the status of our seas and to put in place the measures needed to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES). The Strategy covers marine biodiversity, non-indigenous species, commercial fishing, nutrient pollution, contaminants, underwater noise and marine litter. To protect UK seas effectively, we need to work with other countries. The UK plays a leading role in OSPAR (the regional sea convention for the North-East Atlantic). We coordinate our efforts with our neighbours to ensure the best protection for our seas whilst maintaining their sustainable use.Domestically, we have designated a comprehensive network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and are focused on making sure they are properly protected. In English waters there are 178 sites protecting 40% of our seas. 98 sites in English inshore waters now have management measures in place to protect sensitive features from bottom towed fishing gears. All existing MPAs in English offshore waters will be protected from fishing activities which could prevent them achieving their conservation objectives through a three-year byelaw programme being undertaken by the Marine Management Organisation.HM Government has also recently finished consulting on five candidate Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs).

Rights of Way

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer given on 27 May 2022 to Question 5327, on Rights of Way, when the Government plans to bring forward proposed rights of way reforms including repealing the 2026 cut-off date to record historic rights of way.

Trudy Harrison: HM Government is committed to implementing the rights of way reform package as soon as reasonably practicable in 2023 and is working closely with the Stakeholder Working Group in finalising the individual measures. The 2026 cut-off date will be repealed as soon as a suitable legislative vehicle has been identified.

Fisheries

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to help prevent destructive fishing.

Mark Spencer: HM Government has responsibilities under domestic and international law to manage our fisheries in a sustainable way, including through tackling destructive fishing practices. We take these responsibilities forward through a variety of means.For example, firstly, we have built a comprehensive network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in English waters and are now focused on making sure they are properly protected. Nearly 60% of our 178 English MPAs are already protected from damaging fishing activity and we are aiming to have all MPAs in English waters protected from such activity by 2024.Secondly, Fisheries Management Plans are being developed to deliver sustainable fisheries for current and future generations.Thirdly, through bilateral and multilateral fisheries negotiations, the UK aims to progressively improve the status of stocks and reduce wider ecosystem impacts to deliver high class fisheries management.HM Government is also committed to ending Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. As well as implementing measures to prevent IUU fish being imported into the UK, through the use of catch certificates and other documents, we are also acting internationally to tackle this threat. This year, the United Kingdom along with the US and Canada launched the IUU Fishing Action Alliance, which brings members together to jointly take action to prevent deter and eliminate IUU fishing.

Agriculture: Trade Promotion

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote British farming globally.

Mark Spencer: Defra is delivering on our commitment for consumers at home and abroad to be lining up to buy British. British food has a strong global reputation for high quality and standards, and we are enhancing this further, opening the door for our producers to capitalise on growing demand for our products across the world. We have announced plans to expand our global network of Agri-Food and Drink Attachés to ten roles in our highest priority export markets. They will be breaking down barriers, driving export growth and showcasing our world leading strengths in science, biosecurity and innovation. Since 2017 we have opened markets worth £830 million over five years for meat products alone. Just last week, we celebrated the first consignment of British lamb to the USA in over 20 years.

Home Office

Police: Food Poverty

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of serving police officers relying on food vouchers to feed their families.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office does not hold any such information.

Neighbourhood Watch Schemes

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has taken recent steps to promote the use of Neighbourhood Watch schemes.

Jeremy Quin: Neighbourhood Watch and the Home Office have been crime prevention partners for over 20 years. The Home Office provides grant funding as a contribution to its core costs and to promote programmes that match Home Office priorities.Neighbourhood Watch’s focus has always been on reducing neighbourhood crime, making communities safer and supporting vulnerable members of the community. Neighbourhood Watch has long understood the importance of local partnerships including with the police. Coordinators and volunteers work closely with forces to provide crime prevention campaigns focusing on local priority crime types.As crime changes and cyber enabled crimes become more prevalent, Neighbourhood Watch has adapted to the new trends. As well as providing advice as to what its members and the public can do to report and keep safe from the more traditional crimes of burglary and theft, it also includes fraud, cyber and county lines in its remit. All campaigns focus on simple actions for people to take that will have the most impact on reducing crime.

Home Office: Offices

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many work stations were available for civil servants to use at her Department’s 2 Marsham Street office on 11 October 2022.

Jeremy Quin: On 11 October 2022 the Home Office had 2014 workstations.

Hamas: Prosecutions

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in the UK have been prosecuted for (a) belonging and (b) professing to belong to Hamas since that group was fully proscribed.

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in the UK have been prosecuted for publishing an image or another article in support of Hamas since that group was fully proscribed.

Tom Tugendhat: The Government takes proscription offences seriously. Hamas’ military wing (Hamas Izz al-Din al-Qassem Brigades) has been proscribed since 2001. This was extended to cover the organisation in its entirety in November 2021.Data on arrests, charges and convictions for the proscription offences in sections 11 - 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 can be found in the quarterly Home Office publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’. Data is not published on the specific proscribed organisation that the arrest, charge or conviction relates to. The most recent publication up to year ending June 2022, was published on 8 September 2022: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000-quarterly-update-to-june-2022The quarterly publications establish transparency by ensuring that data is publicly available on the use of police powers in a consistently categorised way. As with all crime statistics published by the Home Office, the data published in the Terrorism statistics are offence based, where police provide a count of the number of offences recorded. Data providers are not required to provide further detail on events leading to the arrest, as to do so would place a disproportionate burden on the organisations responsible. This includes the National Counter-Terrorism Police Operations Centre, the Crown Prosecution Service’s Counter-Terrorism Division, the Metropolitan Police Service and the National Counter-Terrorism Policing Headquarters. As with all Official Statistics, we continually review outputs taking account of user needs.

Home Office: Railways

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on first class train travel for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants in (i) 2020, (i) 2021 and (iii) 2022.

Tom Tugendhat: The Home Office does not hold the information in the format requested.

Unexplained Wealth Orders

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Unexplained Wealth Orders have been (a) sought and (b) granted since the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 came into effect.

Tom Tugendhat: Since the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act came into effect on 15 March 2022 the NCA has filed one application for a UWO in the High Court.

Home Office: Disclosure of Information

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many subject access requests her Department has (a) received and (b) responded to within the statutory limit in the last five years.

Tom Tugendhat: The Department has received 145,591 valid subject access requests in the last five years (01/01/2018 to 31/12/2021) and 112,686 were responded to within the statutory time limit.This is unpublished data from internal management information systems which could be subject to change, alteration or deletion once quality assured.

Bombings: Sri Lanka

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Metropolitan Police are taking steps to support the investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.

Tom Tugendhat: The Home Office works closely with policing partners to support requests from international partners across the full spectrum of policing.The Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command dispatched a team of specialists to Sri Lanka in 2019, including family liaison officers, to support the families of British victims and assist with the repatriation of deceased British nationals. A programme run by Interpol involved the training of 30 Sri Lankan forensic specialists and police officers by UK experts in disaster victim identification. MPS has not deployed any officers in support of the Sri Lankan investigation and will consider any request to support an overseas investigation where it is proportionate, necessary and legal.

Crimes of Violence: Internet

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent violent images of assault being (a) uploaded, and (b) distributed on online sites.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to remove violent images of assault from online sites.

Tom Tugendhat: The Home Office is committed to ensuring action is taken against illegal content online that puts people at risk of serious violence. We are clear that internet companies must go further and faster to tackle this content.Under the Online Safety Bill, technology companies will be held to account for tackling illegal content posted on their platforms. We recognise that social media is used in incitement to and threats of violence, which is why this is listed as a priority offence in the Bill. Platforms will have to take proactive steps to search for, remove and limit people’s exposure to this content and criminal behaviour. They will need to establish systems and processes to identify, assess and address these offences.This might mean investing more resource for content moderation or limiting algorithmic promotion of content.The requirements set out in the Online safety Bill will lead to less illegal content online and when it does appear it will be removed quicker.

Members: Correspondence

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the letter of 14 December 2020 from the hon. Member for Bristol East relating to a constituent.

Jeremy Quin: The Home Office, Detention and Escorting Services (DES) team responded to the correspondence on 24 December 2020.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Animal Experiments

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for which her Department did not undertake any eye irritation tests on animals in 2021; and if she will take steps to ensure that no tests are undertaken in future.

Jeremy Quin: Animal testing is only authorised where there is scientific benefit, to people, animals or the environment, and only when all aspects of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 have been fulfilled. This includes testing only being authorised after successful completion of a harm benefit assessment, when there are no scientifically satisfactory alternative methods and where the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) have been fully applied.The statistics have shown a continual decline in the requirement for testing of the irritancy of substances to the eye. This decline has largely been due to the successful development and approval of non-animal methods. The Government continues to be committed to the full implementation of the 3Rs and for developing new 3Rs techniques through support to the National Centre for the 3Rs.

Visas: Applications

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to remove barriers in the visa application system.

Tom Pursglove: Through the Future Borders and Immigration System (FBIS) programme, we are delivering a streamlined, simplified and modern visa system that meets the needs of the Home Office and its customers.Increasingly, we are replacing physical and paper-based products and services with accessible, easy to use online and digital services. This provides applicants with an easy online application process, including providing biometrics and establishing or verifying identity using their smartphones.To make our system accessible to all, we have expanded support for those that require assistance to make an online visa application. Our UKVI Resolution Centre has been extended and is now open seven days a week for telephone and email enquiries. We also have an assisted digital service which provides UK-wide support to customers who do not have access to technology, or the digital skills or confidence, to complete the forms online.By creating clearer guidance and content on gov.uk we have made it simpler and more intuitive for people to understand if they are eligible for a visa, what steps they need to take to apply and, if granted, the conditions of their stay in the UK.

Asylum: Housing

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what daily cost to the public purse has been incurred for (a) providing accommodation and (b) any other subsistence for those currently awaiting determination of their asylum application, over the most recent six month reporting period.

Tom Pursglove: Costs are subject to change depending on numbers being accommodated within the asylum system. Accommodation costs are considered to be commercially confidential, therefore the Home Office does not publish this information. However, total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts

Immigration: Applications

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an Application Checklist in order to ensure the applicant has submitted all the correct information.

Tom Pursglove: The online application forms currently generate a document checklist for the applicant to download at the end of their application form. This is also displayed at the end of the form after they have answered all of the questions. This checklist uses the answers entered in the form to establish the necessary documentation that an applicant needs to provide.The paper application forms have an application checklist with a list of the documentation an applicant needs to provide at the end of the application form.

UK Border Force: Patrol Craft

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on (a) repairs, (b) maintenance and (c) other work on the coastal patrol vessels named (i) Active, (ii) Alert, (iii) Eagle, (iv) Hunter, (v) Nimrod and (vi) Speedwell in the period between 1 April 2021 and 1 October 2022; and how much her Department has allocated for further work in the (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24 financial year.

Tom Pursglove: The following table shows total recorded spend for each vessel. In the time allowed for these questions we are unable to separate the figures into (a) repairs, (b) maintenance and (c) other work.  Vessel22/23 spend so far21/22 spendActive90,116106,052Alert17,55857,003Eagle8,999132,858Hunter9,92959,025Nimrod10,82782,506Speedwell17,52495,869 This financial year, so far:Coastal Patrol Vehicles - £154,953Last financial year:Coastal Patrol Vehicles - £533,313

Immigration: EU Nationals

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications made since 30 June 2021 to the EU Settlement Scheme have taken longer than a month to process due to requests made by her Department for more information from the applicant.

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications made since 30 June 2021 to the EU Settlement Scheme have taken longer than a month to process due to being applications from minors not linked to an adult.

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications made since 30 June 2021 to the EU Settlement Scheme have taken longer than a month to process due to a paper based application.

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications made since 30 June 2021 to the EU Settlement Scheme have taken longer than a month to process due to the applicant having an outstanding court case.

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications made since 30 June 2021 to the EU Settlement Scheme have taken longer than a month to process due to the applicant potentially having a relevant criminal record.

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications made since 30 June 2021 to the EU Settlement Scheme have taken longer than a month to process due to an applicant's criminal record.

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications made since 30 June 2021 to the EU Settlement Scheme have taken longer than a month to process due to the applicant being a (a) non-EEA or (b) non-Swiss citizen applying based on a relationship not relied on in a previous application to the Home Office.

Tom Pursglove: Our aim is to process all applications to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) as quickly as possible. Each individual application is considered on its own facts. Inevitably, some applications take longer than others to conclude, dependant on the circumstances presented and the completeness of the information provided at the time of application. For example, a case will take longer to conclude if further evidence of eligibility is required.If the applicant is facing an impending prosecution or has a criminal record, the time taken to decide their application will be impacted as any criminal matter will need due consideration. That said, anyone awaiting the outcome of their application can evidence their rights with their Certificate of Application which is issued as soon as possible after a valid application is received.The following link lists the expected processing times for EU Settlement Scheme applications, based upon current performance: EU Settlement Scheme: current estimated processing times for applications - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab).The Home Office publishes data on the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) in the ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)’.The latest published information on EUSS applications received and concluded to 30 June 2022, can be found in the quarterly summary data at EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics, June 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).The published statistics include those applicants who are seeking to upgrade their status from pre-settled to settled status, repeat applicants, joining family members and also those who have submitted late applications.Please note there has been a change in the frequency of the statistical information regarding the EU Settlement Scheme, moving from monthly to quarterly publication. The quarterly statistics will continue to provide updated information on the scheme, including monthly breakdowns of applications and conclusions. The latest quarterly release up to 30 June 2022 was published on 25 August 2022 and subsequently updated on 27 September 2022.

Migrant Workers: Visas

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to people with UK job offers who are awaiting a decision by her Department on a UK visa.

Tom Pursglove: General guidance on completing application forms is found on the Home Office website at How to apply for a visa to come to the UK: Choose a visa - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Customers will be contacted directly if it is discovered that further documentation or evidence is required to support their applications.Provided that the application form has been completed and all pertinent information included, then normally the next contact from the Home Office is after we have processed the application and issued a decision letter to the applicant.Details on visa processing times and explanations as to why the application may take longer to process than expected are published on the Home Office website at: Visa decision waiting times - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). These are updated on a regular basis to make the customer aware of any changes that may affect their applications, such as when Ukrainian applications were prioritised recently.

Refugees: Ukraine

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her resettlement policies of the level of financial support provided to the hosts of Ukrainian refugees.

Tom Pursglove: Homes for Ukraine is a unique scheme that has been set up specifically to support those escaping the conflict in Ukraine who are not able to rely on family support. In recognition of the exceptional support provided by members of the public who have rapidly come forward to welcome people through this scheme, the Government is providing an optional ‘thank you payment’ of £350 per month for sponsors who are kindly sharing their homes. The Government is also providing funding to local councils which includes resource to enable them to carry out sponsorship-specific functions such as safeguarding checks and property checks, administering payments, as well as providing support, such as English language training to help their integration into our communities. Our Community Sponsorship Scheme enables members of the public to provide housing and integration support to refugees resettled to the UK through the UK Resettlement Scheme or the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme. The Community Sponsorship Scheme has had a positive impact on the lives of refugees resettled in the UK, and the communities that support them. This is only made possible by the dedication, hard work and compassion of community groups across the UK. There are currently no plans to provide financial support to groups who support refugees through Community Sponsorship. However, the Government will continue to look for opportunities to improve the scheme and encourage more community groups to welcome refugees resettled to the UK.

UK Border Force: Patrol Craft

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on (a) repairs, (b) maintenance and (c) other work on HM Cutters (i) Protector, (ii) Searcher, (iii) Seeker, (iv) Valiant, and (v) Vigilant in the period between 1 April 2021 and 1 October 2022; and how much her Department has allocated for further work in the (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24 financial year.

Tom Pursglove: Vessel22/23 spend so far21/22 spendProtector33,597242,986Searcher40,738314,351Seeker47,834913,410Valiant342,163376,869Vigilant117,497849,092Border Force Maritime Command has a programme of planned maintenance for each vessel for each FY. We also carry out reactive maintenance and repair work throughout the year. We cannot give an accurate figure of planned spend for 22/23 and 23/24 in the very short time we have been allowed for these questions.This financial year, so far:Cutter’s - £581,829Last financial year:Cutter’s - £2.6m

Migrant Workers: Skilled Workers

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that skilled worker visa applications are processed in a timely way.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office have re-allocated resources following the conclusion of the seasonal student visa application surge and brought in additional staff to deal with the extremely high and above forecast demand. As a result, we expect the time taken to assess a skilled work visa application to reduce significantly.

Refugees: Ukraine

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken to assist Ukrainian refugees without an international passport who wish to return to Ukraine.

Tom Pursglove: Under the Ukraine schemes, Ukrainians can travel outside of the UK and return provided they have received a Biometric Residence Permit. UKVI cannot comment on entry requirements to other countries.

Batteries: Fires

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many lithium-ion battery fire incidents were recorded in 2019.

Jeremy Quin: Data collected through the Fire and Rescue Service Incident Recording System (IRS) does not include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by or involved lithium-ion batteries.The Home Office collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs), with this data including the cause of the fire and the source of ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available here: Fire statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Home Office: Customer Charter

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to update the Customer Charter issued in 2018.

Tom Tugendhat: The organisation is currently undergoing an internal restructure which includes the creation of a dedicated ‘Customer Voice’ function. This new function will seek to review the customer commitments page.

Dahua Technology and Hikvision: CCTV

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using or procuring (a) Hikvision or (b) Dahua surveillance technologies.

Tom Tugendhat: As has been the case under successive administrations, it is not government policy to comment on the security arrangements of government buildings. Specific details regarding the make and model of security systems procured and used by the Government are withheld on national security grounds.The National Cyber Security Centre and the Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure provide guidance on the use of IP-connected cameras and cyber-connected physical security systems.

Hezbollah

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in the UK have been prosecuted for expressing support for Hezbollah since that group was fully proscribed.

Tom Tugendhat: The Government takes proscription offences seriously. On 1 March 2019, the proscription was extended to cover the Hizballah group in its entirety.Data on arrests, charges and convictions for the section 12 Terrorism Act 2000 offence of inviting or expressing support for a proscribed organisation is grouped with other proscription offences (sections 11 and 13 of the Act) in the quarterly Home Office publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’. Data is not published on the specific proscribed organisation that the arrest, charge or conviction relates to. The most recent publication up to year ending June 2022, was published on 8 September 2022: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000-quarterly-update-to-june-2022The quarterly publications establish transparency by ensuring that data is publicly available on the use of police powers in a consistently categorised way. As with all crime statistics published by the Home Office, the data published in the Terrorism statistics are offence based, where police provide a count of the number of offences recorded. Data providers are not required to provide further detail on events leading to the arrest, as to do so would place a disproportionate burden on the organisations responsible.This includes the National Counter-Terrorism Police Operations Centre, the Crown Prosecution Service’s Counter-Terrorism Division, the Metropolitan Police Service and the National Counter-Terrorism Policing Headquarters. As with all Official Statistics, we continually review outputs taking account of user needs.

Hezbollah

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in the UK have been prosecuted for inviting support for Hezbollah since that organisation was fully proscribed.

Tom Tugendhat: The Government takes proscription offences seriously. On 1 March 2019, the proscription was extended to cover the Hizballah group in its entirety.Data on arrests, charges and convictions for the section 12 Terrorism Act 2000 offence of inviting or expressing support for a proscribed organisation is grouped with other proscription offences (sections 11 and 13 of the Act) in the quarterly Home Office publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’. Data is not published on the specific proscribed organisation that the arrest, charge or conviction relates to. The most recent publication up to year ending June 2022, was published on 8 September 2022: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000-quarterly-update-to-june-2022The quarterly publications establish transparency by ensuring that data is publicly available on the use of police powers in a consistently categorised way. As with all crime statistics published by the Home Office, the data published in the Terrorism statistics are offence based, where police provide a count of the number of offences recorded. Data providers are not required to provide further detail on events leading to the arrest, as to do so would place a disproportionate burden on the organisations responsible.This includes the National Counter-Terrorism Police Operations Centre, the Crown Prosecution Service’s Counter-Terrorism Division, the Metropolitan Police Service and the National Counter-Terrorism Policing Headquarters. As with all Official Statistics, we continually review outputs taking account of user needs.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the current protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, if the Government will take steps to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.

Tom Tugendhat: Whilst the UK Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.The death of Mahsa Amini is a shocking reminder of the repression faced by women in Iran. The UK condemns the Iranian authorities’ crackdown on protestors, journalists and internet freedom. The use of violence in response to the expression of fundamental rights, by women or any other members of Iranian society, is wholly unjustifiable.On the 10th October, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office announced sanctions on senior security and political figures in Iran and the Morality Police. The Morality Police has been sanctioned in its entirety, as well as both its chief, Mohammed Rostami Cheshmeh Gachi and the Head of the Tehran Division Haj Ahmed Mirzaei. Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij force, who is responsible for internal security in Iran has also been subject to sanctions for committing serious human rights violations.

National Security Bill: Journalism

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the National Union of Journalists on the potential impact of the National Security Bill on members of that organisation.

Tom Tugendhat: A significant number of representative bodies from industry, including the National Union of Journalists, have contributed to the development of the National Security Bill, including through the Home Office public consultation which was conducted in the summer of 2021.They also participated in targeted roundtable engagement conducted by the Home Office in the Summer of 2022.

Disinformation: Iran

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to counter Iranian government disinformation in the UK.

Tom Tugendhat: Misinformation and disinformation can come from a range of sources, but we know that certain states routinely use disinformation as a foreign policy tool. The UK – along with our G7 and NATO partners, is working hard to protect our democracies against disinformation. DCMS holds overall HM Government policy responsibility for counter-disinformation and is the convening department for the Cross-Whitehall Counter Disinformation Unit, bringing together cross-government monitoring and analysis capabilities.DCMS also closely with social media platforms to help them identify and take action to remove disinformation, in line with their revised terms and conditions, and to promote authoritative sources of information. Home Office are supporting DCMS in their response to countering disinformation, including through engagement with platforms.

Police Management of Registered Sex Offenders Independent Review

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the independent review into the police management of registered sex offenders in the community will be published.

Mims Davies: In March this year former chief constable Mick Creedon was appointed to conduct an independent review into the police management of registered sex offenders in the community. The review is looking specifically at how the police use their current capabilities to manage the risk posed by registered sex offenders and whether the regime protecting the public from them could be strengthened further.The review, which is now in its concluding phases, will deliver its findings and recommendations to HM Government on what needs to be done across the policing and law enforcement landscape to enhance the management of registered sex offenders in the community in England and Wales. The findings will support our efforts to tackle horrific cases of sexual exploitation in places such as Rotherham. Ministers will consider how best to share the findings of the review with due regard to issues like operational sensitivities.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organisation.

Tom Tugendhat: Whilst the UK Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not being considered for proscription. The UK has over 200 sanctions designations in place against Iran, which aim to address the IRGC’s destabilising and unacceptable activities. On the 10th October, the UK imposed sanctions on five leading political and security officials in Iran, including Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij force.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Rented Housing: Young People

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to help support (a) first time and (b) young renters who have funds to pay monthly rent but do not have access to a guarantor.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that (a) landlords and (b) letting agents are only able to require a guarantor when it is strictly necessary.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government wants everyone to have access to secure, safe and affordable housing. We continue to encourage private rented sector landlords and agents to assess the suitability of potential and existing tenants on an individual basis.Landlords and letting agents are free to carry out referencing and affordability checks within the law before accepting a new tenant in order to ensure a sustainable tenancy for both parties. This may include setting a requirement for a guarantor.Local authorities may offer guarantee schemes to help people on low incomes or at risk of homelessness. These schemes may allow the local authority to act as a guarantor and cover unpaid rent or damage up to a certain amount.

Evictions: County Durham

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department have has made of the potential impact of Section 21 Eviction notices on social housing waiting lists in (a) City of Durham constituency and (b) County Durham.

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Section 21 eviction notices on trends in the level of private rent prices in (a) City of Durham constituency and (b) County Durham.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government does not collect data on the impact of Section 21 evictions on social housing waiting lists and rent prices at a local authority level.Everyone deserves to live in a safe and secure home. The Prime Minister has committed to the ban on Section 21 'no fault' evictions to protect tenants. Ensuring a fair deal for renters remains a priority for the government and we are carefully considering next steps to support the rental market.

Elections

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is responsible for the provisions of the Elections Act 2022.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities holds responsibility for provisions of the Elections Act 2022.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help Afghan refugees living in hotels following Operation Pitting to access the private rental sector.

Andrew Stephenson: The Find Your Own Accommodation pathway was launched in June 2022 following engagement with Afghans and local authorities, who both were generally in favour of this added housing option. This pathway enables Afghans to find their own accommodation, whilst still receiving financial and non-financial integration support from the Government. For example, a local authority may use some of the £20,520 per person spread over three years from the Government to provide the deposit, first month’s rent, and furniture to help Afghans into the private rental sector. The Government is not prescriptive with the precise support provided, so this may vary from council to council.This new process is in addition to Home Office's matching system, where Home Office engage with local authorities to source accommodation in the social and private rental sectors, and then match properties to individual households.

Housing: Construction

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact on homelessness of building more modular homes.

Andrew Stephenson: DLUHC shares the cross-government objective of increasing the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). MMC provides an important opportunity to improve the quality of new homes, deliver more energy efficient homes, reduce construction waste, improve productivity and address the shortage in construction skills.   It is for local authorities to identify the size, type and tenure of housing needed in their community and reflect this in planning, housing and homelessness strategy

Local Government: County Durham

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on the Government's progress in agreeing a devolved County Deal with Durham County Council.

Andrew Stephenson: In the Levelling Up White Paper, we named County Durham as one of the places invited to negotiate a devolution deal. We remain committed to continuing those discussions.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Voluntary Organisations

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) community and (b) voluntary organisations in Northern Ireland on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Dehenna Davison: The Department established the Northern Ireland UK Shared Prosperity Fund Partnership Group earlier this year to advise it as it develops an investment plan for the fund in Northern Ireland. It includes representative groups for key sectors, including the voluntary and community sector, business, higher education and skills and local authorities, as well as the Northern Ireland Office.Voluntary and community organisations currently represented on the Northern Ireland Partnership Group are the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) and Chief Officers Third Sector (CO3). Its overall membership will be reviewed on conclusion of the Investment Plan process to ensure that the right mix of knowledge and experience is in place as the fund moves into its delivery phase.DLUHC officials also hosted two engagement events in collaboration with NICVA and CO3 with attendance from over 150 community and voluntary organisations. Officials sought views on opportunities for UKSPF investment in Northern Ireland, and feedback and insight from these events has been used to inform the UKSPF Investment Plan for Northern Ireland. Alongside this, DLUHC officials have also had a number of individual meetings with specific community and voluntary organisations and their representatives.

Regional Planning and Development: Public Appointments

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his timescale is for the completion of the appointment of all levelling up directors.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if it remains his policy to appoint Levelling Up directors.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 19 April 2022 to Question 149347 on Regional Planning and Development: Public Appointments, whether the interviews for levelling up director roles were completed in May 2022.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding his Department plans to provide to support the (a) set up and (b) day to day running of the offices of new local levelling up directors.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the offices of local levelling up directors will employ their own staff.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate his Department has made of the funding required for (a) costs, (b) salaries and (c) other spending associated with (i) local levelling up directors and (ii) their offices.

Dehenna Davison: The Government set out in the Levelling Up White Paper its plan to explore the introduction of Levelling Up Directors. The department is in the process of recruitment (with interviews conducted in the summer) and more details will be available in due course when the Secretary of State has considered official advice.In terms of funding required, Levelling Up Directors would be supported by civil servants from relevant departments. The costs for the Directors themselves and their office will be part of DLUHC's settlement.The Government is committed to delivering levelling up outcomes in the best way possible.

Parking: Codes of Practice

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to reissue the Private Parking Code of Practice.

Dehenna Davison: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to PQ 54476 on 12 October 2022.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of his Department providing additional support for disadvantaged people in Northern Ireland to access skills training funded under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to ensure that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund supports projects which help people with (a) disabilities and (b) learning disabilities to find sustainable employment.

Dehenna Davison: The £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will provide support for projects across Northern Ireland, focusing on people and skills, communities and place, and local business for the period 2022-23 to 2024-25.The Department established the Northern Ireland UKSPF Partnership Group earlier this year to advise it as it develops an investment plan for the fund in Northern Ireland. It includes representatives from the voluntary and community sector, business, higher education and skills and local authorities, as well as the Northern Ireland Office. Alongside this, DLUHC has held workshops and engaged with over 150 representatives of the voluntary and community sector, as well as business organisations and local councils across Northern Ireland, many of whom deliver skills training and wider support for disadvantaged people and provide support for people with disabilities to find sustainable employment.For the 'people and skills' investment priority, the Department recognises the need for continued support to reduce economic inactivity, as well as invest in basic and life skills in order to improve life chances in Northern Ireland, including for disadvantaged groups and disabled people. Alongside this, the fund will invest in supporting people to access adult numeracy support through Multiply.The Department expects to conclude the Investment Plan shortly and will publish further information on funding opportunities in Northern Ireland later this year.

Regional Planning and Development: Advertising

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much money the Department spent on paid-for newspaper articles in relation to levelling up recently found in breach of Advertising Standards Authority rules.

Dehenna Davison: The cost of producing advertorials with our media partner Reach plc was based on a package rather than cost per article so we are unable to say accurately how much newspaper articles cost.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Advertising

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure future advertising by the Department does not breach Advertising Standards Agency rules.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure all of the Department’s current advertising follows Advertising Standards Agency rules.

Dehenna Davison: We work, via the Professional Assurance process, with the Prime Minister's office and Cabinet Office to ensure that campaign spending controls are applied in line with guidance, aligned with government priorities and are an appropriate use of funds.  We will continue to do so for all future campaigns. However, we will take on board ASA conclusion that the ads must not appear again in their current form and that all future marketing communications must be clearly identifiable as such.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Advertising

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what due diligence was undertaken by his Department to ensure the Levelling Up campaign followed relevant ASA rules prior to the reported breach of ASA rules.

Dehenna Davison: We worked with the media partner Reach plc to ensure advertorials (paid-for content written and presented in the house style of the media partner) were in line with the ASA guidelines. In this instance, as per standard practice for advertorials, the labelling of advertorials followed the publisher's preference and style. Our media partner advised that they considered the ads to be obviously identifiable as marketing communications.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to help ensure that recipients of the European Social Fund in Northern Ireland continue to receive funding under the Shared Prosperity Fund after March 2023.

Dehenna Davison: The £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will provide support for projects across Northern Ireland, focusing on people and skills, communities and place, and local business for the period 2022-23 to 2024-25. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is leading delivery of the UKSPF in Northern Ireland and is in the process of designing a Northern Ireland Investment Plan for UKSPF that sets out the specific interventions it will support, and how it will bring them to market. The Department is working closely with Northern Ireland partners through a Partnership Group comprising representatives from the voluntary and community sector, business, higher education and skills, and local authorities to develop this Plan.As the Department considers how to deliver the UKSPF, it is considering the wider funding landscape, including activities funded via predecessor funds and other programmes, and the best way to deliver impactful funding that addresses the needs of Northern Ireland. Alongside this, the Department has held workshops and engaged with over 150 representatives of the voluntary and community sector, many of whom receive funding for projects currently, as well as business organisations and local councils across Northern Ireland.The Department expects to conclude the plan shortly and will publish further information on funding opportunities in Northern Ireland later this year.

Regional Planning and Development: Inflation

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Department has undertaken an analysis of the increased costs associated with the delivery of the first round of Levelling Up projects due to inflation since successful bids were first awarded.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps the Department is taking to support local authorities to deliver Levelling Up Fund projects facing inflationary pressures.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what financial support is available to local authorities to ensure the delivery of Levelling Up Fund projects impacted by inflation.

Dehenna Davison: The department is monitoring the situation closely through formal reporting mechanisms and on the ground relationships. These are giving us an emerging picture of the impact of cost inflation on our programmes.The Levelling Up Fund has put in place a proportionate project adjustment process. Through this, we can work with places to make sensible adjustments to the scope and phasing of projects to mitigate delivery challenges, including cost inflation, whilst also maintaining value for money.

Coastal Areas: Finance

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department has to increase targeted funding to coastal communities.

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his department has to bring forward a strategy to grow the economies of coastal communities.

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department has to support industrial maritime projects in coastal communities.

Dehenna Davison: My department is committed to supporting coastal communities flourish, strengthening their appeal as places to live, work and visit.Through our Coastal Communities Fund, which ran until this year, we supported a huge number of projects in communities across the country, with a total investment of £187 million. We recently published the evaluation which showed how it stimulated job growth and prosperity in those areas.Coastal communities continue to receive investment from our funding programmes, including 22 places that are receiving Town Deals collectively worth over £673 million. The Levelling Up Fund offers investment opportunities for coastal communities to promote regeneration and build vital infrastructure. The £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund - where growing the private sector in localities is a core objective - is being delivered through an allocative process that reaches every part of the UK.

Levelling Up Fund

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department will take to ensure the full completion of successful bids to the first round of the Levelling Up Fund that are facing inflationary pressures on costs.

Dehenna Davison: The department is monitoring the situation closely through formal reporting mechanisms and on the ground relationships. These are giving us an emerging picture of the impact of cost inflation on our programmes.The Levelling Up Fund has put in place a proportionate project adjustment process. Through this, we can work with places to make sensible adjustments to the scope and phasing of projects to mitigate delivery challenges including cost inflation whilst also maintaining value for money.

Coastal Areas: Regional Planning and Development

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department has for future funding calls targeted to coastal communities.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to bring forward a strategy on growing the economies of coastal communities.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the briefing by Maritime UK and the Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group entitled Maritime UK: Coastal Powerhouse Manifesto, published in September 2021, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of that briefing's recommendations.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department has to support Maritime UK’s regional maritime clusters as part of the levelling up agenda.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department has to support industrial maritime projects in coastal communities in the future.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will meet with Maritime UK to discuss proposals to unlock further economic growth in coastal communities.

Dehenna Davison: The Government is committed to coastal communities and levelling-up across the UK. Our coastal economies and communities add unique value to the country and offer significant growth potential.Seven out of the eight English Freeports are in coastal areas, 22 coastal towns are in receipt of Town Deals, and coastal areas will benefit from over £673 million of investment via the Towns Fund. The £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund will unlock further economic growth in coastal communities with all areas of the UK receiving an allocation from the fund.

Cabinet Office

Blood: Contamination

Aaron Bell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Written Ministerial Statement made on 5 September 2022, what progress the Government has made on the commitment that interim payments be made to those infected and affected by contaminated blood by the end of October 2022.

Chris Philp: I can confirm infected individuals and bereaved partners who are registered with any of the four UK infected blood support schemes will receive interim compensation payments of £100,000 by the end of October. The administrators of the four schemes are writing to beneficiaries this week confirming the £100,000 alongside details of how the money will be paid. This meets a key government commitment to meet, in full, the recommendations set out by Infected Blood Inquiry Chair Sir Brian Langstaff in his interim report.

Treasury

Multiple Sclerosis: Cost of Living

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to conduct an impact assessment of the increased costs of living on the health of people with multiple sclerosis.

Edward Argar: The Government understands that people across the UK and especially the most vulnerable members of society, such as those suffering from multiple sclerosis, are worried about the rising cost of living. That is why the Government is taking decisive action to get households through this winter and the next, while ensuring we act in a fiscally responsible way. The impact of the cost of living on households and those with disabilities is something that officials continue to review. Depending on their specific circumstances, it is possible that people with multiple sclerosis will qualify for disability benefits. People in receipt of extra-costs disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will receive a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 from 20th September, to help with the extra costs disabled people are facing. The DWP has already processed around 6 million such payments. The Government is also providing a £650 Cost of Living Payment to recipients of means-tested benefits, to support people with low incomes with the rising cost of living. Individuals in receipt of means-tested disability benefits, such as income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or the Universal Credit Health top up are eligible for this support. Those suffering from multiple sclerosis may also benefit from other forms of non-means tested support which the Government is providing to assist with UK households’ energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is a scheme that will cap the unit price households pay for electricity and gas, which means that a typical household in Great Britain will have to pay bills equivalent to no more than £2500 a year on their energy bills this winter.- This will support people with a disability who may need to use more energy due to their condition or treatment. Secondly, the Energy Bills Support Scheme, which will provide £400 to help with domestic energy bills. All households in Council Tax bands A-D will also receive the Government-funded £150 Council Tax Rebate, which will be delivered by Local Authorities. Lastly, to support households who need further help or who are not eligible for elements of the wider package of support, the Government is also providing an extra £500 million of local support to help with the cost of essentials, via the Household Support Fund.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Cost of Living

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he is taking to steps to provide further cost of living support to those suffering from complex regional pain syndrome.

Edward Argar: The Government understands that people across the UK and especially the most vulnerable members of society, such as those suffering from complex regional pain syndrome, are worried about the rising cost of living. That is why the Government is taking decisive action to get households through this winter and the next, while ensuring we act in a fiscally responsible way. Depending on their specific circumstances, it is possible that people with complex regional pain syndrome will qualify for disability benefits. People in receipt of extra-costs disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will receive a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 from 20th September, to help with the extra costs disabled people are facing. The DWP has already processed around 6 million such payments. The Government is also providing a £650 Cost of Living Payment to recipients of means-tested benefits, to support people with low incomes with the rising cost of living. Individuals in receipt of means-tested disability benefits, such as income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or the Universal Credit Health top up are eligible for this support. Those suffering from complex regional pain syndrome can also benefit from other forms of non-means tested support which the Government is providing to assist with UK households’ energy bills.The Energy Price Guarantee is a scheme that will cap the unit price households pay for electricity and gas, which means that a typical household in Great Britain will have to pay bills equivalent to no more than £2500 a year on their energy bills this winter.- This will support people with a disability who may need to use more energy due to their condition or treatment.  Secondly, the Energy Bills Support Scheme, which will provide £400 to help with domestic energy bills. All households in Council Tax bands A-D will also receive the Government-funded £150 Council Tax Rebate, which will be delivered by Local Authorities. Lastly, to support households who need further help or who are not eligible for elements of the wider package of support, the Government is also providing an extra £500 million of local support to help with the cost of essentials, via the Household Support Fund.

Sickle Cell Diseases: Government Assistance

Janet Daby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on making an assessment of the adequacy of Government support for (a) fuel and (b) other costs for people with sickle cell disease during winter 2022.

Edward Argar: The Government understands that people across the UK and especially the most vulnerable members of society, such as those suffering from long-term health conditions and disabilities, are worried about the rising cost of living. That is why the Government is taking decisive action to get households through this winter and the next, while ensuring we act in a fiscally responsible way. Depending on their specific circumstances, it is possible that people with multiple sclerosis will qualify for disability benefits. People in receipt of extra-costs disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will receive a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 from 20th September, to help with the extra costs disabled people are facing. The DWP has already processed around 6 million such payments. The Government is also providing a £650 Cost of Living Payment to recipients of means-tested benefits, to support people with low incomes with the rising cost of living. Individuals in receipt of means-tested disability benefits, such as income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or the Universal Credit Health top up are eligible for this support. Those suffering from sickle cell disease may also benefit from other forms of non-means tested support which the Government is providing to assist with UK households’ energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is a scheme that will cap the unit price households pay for electricity and gas, which means that a typical household in Great Britain will have to pay bills equivalent to no more than £2500 a year on their energy bills this winter. This will support people with a disability who may need to use more energy due to their condition or treatment. Secondly via the Energy Bills Support Scheme, which will provide £400 to help with domestic energy bills. All households in Council Tax bands A-D will also receive the Government-funded £150 Council Tax Rebate, which will be delivered by Local Authorities. Lastly, to support households who need further help or who are not eligible for elements of the wider package of support, the Government is also providing an extra £500 million of local support to help with the cost of essentials, via the Household Support Fund.

Development Aid

Neil Coyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the economic tests that must be met to increase Official Development Assistance budget to 0.7% GDP.

Neil Coyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to review whether the economic tests have been met to increase the Official Development Assistance budget to 0.7 per cent GDP.

Edward Argar: The Government remains committed to the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015 and to spending 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA) once the fiscal situation allows. In July 2021 the former Chancellor set out the fiscal circumstances under which the UK will make the return to spending 0.7% of its GNI on ODA. This is set out in detail in a written ministerial statement, here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-07-12/hcws172. Each year, the Government will continue to monitor future forecasts closely and will review and confirm, in accordance with the Act, whether a return to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA is possible against the latest fiscal forecasts.

Child Benefit

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of repealing the High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge.

Edward Argar: The Government is committed to managing the public finances in a disciplined and responsible way. Restricting Child Benefit for those on higher incomes ensures that the Government supports the majority of families whilst keeping welfare expenditure sustainable. As with all elements of tax policy, the Government keeps this under review.

Gift Aid

Peter Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to take steps to modernise the process for charities claiming Gift Aid on donations.

Felicity Buchan: The Government recognises the vitally important work the charity sector does in the UK, which is why we currently provide tax relief to charities and their donors worth over £5 billion per year, including over £1.3 billion in Gift Aid.HMRC keeps under review all of the processes involved for claiming Gift Aid so that it remains accessible to the charitable sector, as well as their donors.

Financial Services: Children

Peter Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to improve financial inclusion for people under the age of 18.

Andrew Griffith: The Government wants to ensure that people, regardless of their background or income, have access to useful and affordable financial products and services and is committed to ensuring that people build financial capability. This means they are able to use, and maximise their use of, products and services made available by the financial services industry.To promote financial inclusion and capability, the Government works closely together with regulators and stakeholders from the public, private and third sectors. For people under the age of 18, economic and financial education are important parts of a broad and balanced curriculum that provide the essential knowledge to ensure that young people are prepared to manage money well and make sound financial decisions.Financial education was made statutory for 11 to 16-year olds within the national curriculum for citizenship in England in 2014. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study.To further support schools to deliver high quality financial education, the Money and Pensions Service published financial education guidance for primary and secondary schools in England in 2021. This guidance supports school leaders and education decision makers to enhance the financial education currently delivered in their schools.

Mortgages

Alex Sobel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department has plans to help support people selling their homes following a number of banks withdrawing mortgages.

Andrew Griffith: There remains a broad range of mortgage products on the market, and those looking to take out a mortgage are encouraged to shop around and speak to a mortgage broker. The pricing and availability of loans is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. Likewise, it would not be appropriate for the Government to intervene in individual house sales.

Mortgages and Rents: Warwick and Leamington

Matt Western: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his statement on the Growth Plan on 23 September 2022 on the cost of (a) mortgages and (b) rents for people in the Warwick and Leamington constituency.

Andrew Griffith: The Growth Plan drives fundamental supply-side reforms to deliver higher and sustainable growth for the long-term. The Government understands that people across the UK are worried about the cost of living, including in places such as Warwick and Leamington. That is why we have taken decisive action to help households through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme. This is in addition to the £37 billion of targeted support for the cost of living this financial year. Around 75% of residential mortgage borrowers are on fixed-rate deals and are therefore shielded from interest rate rises in the short term. The pricing of mortgages and rents remain commercial decisions for lenders and landlords respectively, and the Government does not seek to intervene in these decisions.

Science: Pension Funds

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to support and encourage pension funds to invest responsibly and sustainably in commercialising scientific discoveries.

Andrew Griffith: The Government has a longstanding ambition to unlock institutional capital for investment into productive finance in a prudent and responsible manner. Investment in long-term, productive asset classes can offer UK savers higher potential returns as part of a diverse and balanced portfolio of investments. Since 2017, significant action has been taken to remove barriers to productive investment while ensuring that investment decisions remain the sole responsibility of fund managers and trustees Most recently, building on regulatory measures to give institutional investors the flexibility to invest diversely, the Government has announced the Long-Term Investment for Technology & Science (LIFTS) competition. This will provide up to £500 million to support new funds designed to catalyse investment from institutional investors into the UK’s pioneering science and technology businesses.

Retail Trade: Business Rates

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to review business rates for high street retailers.

Richard Fuller: The Final Report of the Business Rates Review was published at Autumn Budget 2021. The report reaffirmed the importance of business rates for raising revenue for essential local services, and announced a package of changes worth almost £7 billion over the next 5 years. The Review has implemented significant new measures to support high street retailers. A temporary 50 per cent relief for retail, hospitality, and leisure in 2022-23 has been introduced, worth up to £110,000 per business. Together with Small Business Rates Relief, this means over 90 per cent of retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses receive at least a 50 per cent reduction in their business rates bills in 2022-23. In addition, the multiplier has been frozen for 2022-23, a tax cut worth £4.6 billion over the next five years. Any announcements on business rates for the upcoming financial year will be made in due course.

Revenue and Customs: Civil Servants

Alison McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much data HM Revenue and Customs holds on each staff member in each government department.

Richard Fuller: HMRC holds data about its own staff for management purposes and to fulfil its functions, consistent with any other employer. This includes information such as grade, salary, bank details, and address. For other Civil Servants outside of HMRC, HMRC would hold the same data as for any other employee in the tax system, in the private and public sectors. This is to administer the tax system. HMRC publishes full details of the data held about all customers, how, and when it is used on their Privacy Notice, published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-protection-act-dpa-information-hm-revenue-and-customs-hold-about-you/data-protection-act-dpa-information-hm-revenue-and-customs-hold-about-you.

National Insurance Credits

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people made an application to receive Specified Adult Childcare credits in each year since 2011.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications for Specified Adult Childcare credits have been made where the primary carer is in receipt of Child Benefit in each year since 2011.

Richard Fuller: The table below shows the total number of applications received for Specified Adult Childcare credits in each year since the scheme began in 2011, and numbers that are approved and rejected. An application for Specified Adult Childcare credits can only be successful where there is a claim for Child Benefit and all other eligibility criteria are met. These figures have been taken from management information available at this time and are not official statistics. This means that they have not been subjected to full Quality Assurance procedures.YearApplications ApprovedApplications RejectedTotal Applications ReceivedOct 21 – Aug 2216,2143,85420,068Oct 20 – Sept 2115,9273,14819,075Oct 19 – Sept 2015,0073,08818,095Oct 18 – Sept 1915,4123,38918,801Oct 17 – Sept 1810,0843,14013,224Oct 16 – Sept 179,4864,06113,547Oct 15 – Sept 161,2982061,504Oct 14 – Sept 151,1681521,320Oct 13 – Sept 141,7258322,557Oct 12 – Sept 13498198696

Cost of Living: Government Assistance

Owen Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to provide cost of living support to people who rely on oil for heating.

Felicity Buchan: The Government recognises the challenges facing households who rely on heating oil. We are committed to ensuring these households will be no worse off than an equivalent domestic gas household under the Energy Price Guarantee. Where households are not able to receive support for their heating costs through the Energy Price Guarantee, the Government will provide an additional payment of £100 to compensate for the rising costs of heating oil. This is in addition to the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme, which will be paid, in Great Britain, in 6 monthly instalments from October. Households in Northern Ireland will also receive a £400 discount on bills through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. This support reflects the different underlying wholesale prices, with natural gas particularly affected by Russia’s actions. The Secretary of State for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy will keep the relative costs under close review, and we will continue to work with the sector closely. Households who are connected to the electricity network but who use fuels other than gas, such as heating oil, will still receive support through the Energy Price Guarantee and Energy Bills Support Scheme for their electricity costs.

Treasury: Offices

Holly Lynch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many workstations were available for civil servants to use in his Department's offices as of 11 October 2022.

Felicity Buchan: HM Treasury has over 1000 workstations available to use across its 3 sites (London, Darlington and Norwich) which is sufficient to support staff attending the office at least 50% of the time.

Fiscal Policy

Richard Thomson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has received from (a) academics, (b) consultants and (c) think tanks on an analysis of the Growth Plan 2022.

Felicity Buchan: HM Treasury Ministers and officials regularly engage with a range of stakeholders, including in advance of and following policy announcements. This ensures that Ministers and officials are aware of the issues facing the public, businesses and the economy when developing policy and assessing the impact.

Productivity

Richard Thomson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what analysis he has commissioned on potential productivity of the UK.

Richard Thomson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential productivity of the UK.

Felicity Buchan: Potential productivity is an estimated economic concept that measures the maximum sustainable level of output that can be produced per hour worked across an economy. Where this estimated level sits relative to actual productivity data, as measure by the ONS, depends on how intensely factors of production are being used at a given time. The ONS publish quarterly updates on official UK productivity statistics and analysis of UK productivity. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook also includes their outlook for potential output and productivity. The Chancellor has brought forward the OBR forecast date to 31 October. This will provide an in-depth assessment of the economy and public finances including a forecast for productivity. The Government continually monitors and assesses economic developments, including around productivity, to consider their impact on businesses and households. Boosting productivity growth is central to raising the UK’s economic growth, as part of the Growth Plan 2022.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Rural Areas

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many properties have been connected as a result of the Broadband Voucher scheme for rural areas since that scheme's inception.

Julia Lopez: As of the end of March 2022, 44,000 vouchers have been claimed for gigabit-capable infrastructure through Project Gigabit’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and previous voucher subsidy schemes for rural premises. YearRural2017/1802018/192,0002019/205,7002020/2113,9002021/2222,300TOTAL44,000 Source:BDUK (as of Oct 2022) Notes:1. Rounded to the nearest 100.2. Encompasses 3 different schemes: Gigabit Voucher Scheme (GBVS), Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) and UKGV (UK Gigabit Voucher).

Project Gigabit: Voucher Schemes

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many vouchers her Department has issued as part of Project Gigabit in each (a) region and (b) nation of the UK; and what proportion of those vouchers were distributed to (i) homes and (ii) businesses.

Julia Lopez: The following table shows the number of premises that were connected to broadband under the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme between 2017/18 and 2021/22, by (a) region and (b) nation of the UK and by (i) homes and (ii) businesses:Year2017/182018/192019/202020/212021/22TOTALEnglandNorth Eastof which business01205403302901280of which residential0017052016802370North Westof which business081015308909204150of which residential080790110036005560Yorkshire and The Humberof which business30100012704702603020of which residential0603003209101580East Midlandsof which business02807303403401680of which residential0105032014201800West Midlandsof which business03907906404702290of which residential0011073019202750East of Englandof which business03107005404902040of which residential00130115045405820Londonof which business09001780800603540of which residential02034028080730South Eastof which business08601810106012805010of which residential01304202330907011940South Westof which business105709806305402730of which residential06501320267035808210Northern Irelandof which business04309509001402420of which residential00170194023704480Scotlandof which business02305804201001330of which residential00404906801210Walesof which business0602703205101170of which residential0010063020302750Source:BDUK (as of Oct 2022)Notes:1. Rounded to the nearest 102. Includes Vouchers Connected and Vouchers Issued that are yet to be connected. Vouchers issued can subsequently be cancelled, meaning the figures above are the maximum number of vouchers that could be connected in each country/region3. Encompasses 3 different schemes: Gigabit Voucher Scheme (GBVS), Rural Gigabit Connectivity (RGC) and UKGV (UK Gigabit Voucher). Each scheme had a different set of eligibility criteria4. Business vouchers include sole traders, of which there were 31 vouchers issued and/or connected

Natural History Museum: Zimbabwe

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps with the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure the urgent repatriation of human remains held by the Natural History Museum.

Stuart Andrew: Decisions relating to museum collections are a matter for the trustees of each museum, who operate independently of the government. This includes the institutions’ responses to requests for repatriation of human remains. The Natural History Museum will consider any request for the return of human remains, and we understand they are working with Zimbabwe on this matter.

Telecommunications: Infrastructure

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made on the impact of the Electronic Communications Code 2017 on businesses.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the impact of the valuation regime in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill on (a) smallholders and (b) landholders.

Julia Lopez: The 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code were intended to make it easier for digital communications operators to deploy and maintain their networks. Those changes include the introduction of a statutory valuation regime, which reflected the government’s view that the cost of acquiring rights to install digital infrastructure on private land prior to 2017 was too high and needed to be addressed. The valuation regime introduced in 2017 is more closely aligned to those for utilities such as water and electricity and reflects the fact that access to good quality digital services is an increasingly critical part of daily life for residents across the UK.The Government continues to believe that the framework strikes a fair balance between ensuring individual landowners are not left out of pocket and encouraging the industry investment needed for consumers across the UK to have access to fast, reliable digital services.Since the introduction of the reforms in 2017 we have engaged with and listened to stakeholders to understand the impact of the reforms in practice. This has included a formal consultation on further changes to the Code, which led to the provisions in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill, as well as ongoing (and continuing) engagement with stakeholders throughout the passage of the Bill.In parallel, DCMS officials have convened monthly Access to Land Workshops over the last 12-18 months, which cover a number of workstreams and attract attendance from stakeholders across the telecommunications industry, including site provider representatives. I am pleased to say that these workshops have made excellent progress and one of the outputs of this work is the creation of a new industry body, the National Connectivity Alliance, which in time will continue this work independently of DCMS.A de minimis assessment was carried out on the reforms to the Code contained in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill. This review was general in nature and did not focus on specific stakeholder groups. Once the measures in the Bill have commenced, officials will continue to engage with stakeholders to gain their feedback on how the new provisions are working in practice.

Ticketmaster

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with representatives from Ticketmaster on their new dynamic pricing policy.

Julia Lopez: DCMS officials are routinely in touch with relevant ticketing trade bodies and organisations, to discuss ongoing developments in the market, as are BEIS and Competition and Markets Authority officials. As a Government, we are committed to supporting fair and transparent ticket pricing and tackling unacceptable behaviour.Ultimately, ticket pricing strategies are a matter for event organisers and ticketing platforms, providing they comply with relevant legislation. As the Consumer Rights Act makes clear, event organisers and ticketing platforms are expected to be transparent with customers on how they price their tickets and what specific pricing strategies they use. This is to help consumers to make a fair and informed decision.

Project Gigabit

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many public sector hubs have been set up as part of Project Gigabit; if she will publish a list of those hubs; and what estimate she has made of the number of addressable premises that have been connected as a result of each of those hubs.

Julia Lopez: Since 2019, we have connected 6,600 public sector buildings and assets through our Local Full Fibre Network, Rural Gigabit Connectivity, and GigaHubs programmes. Our delivery figures are updated in Building Digital UK's quarterly Project Gigabit progress updates and will be confirmed in its 2023 Performance Report. We are considering how and where to publish further hub details.As part of Project Gigabit, the government has made up to £110 million available to connect up to 7,000 rural public buildings such as schools, GP surgeries and libraries. Each hub is expected to result in at least one premises passed by a gigabit-capable connection - this is a conservative assumption as hubs are intended to stimulate local build from suppliers.In June 2022, we announced a joint £82 million investment with the Department for Education (DfE) to connect up to 3,000 primary schools with gigabit broadband over the next three years.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much and what proportion of the £210 million funding allocated to the Broadband Voucher scheme for rural areas has been spent.

Julia Lopez: Since its establishment as an Executive Agency, Building Digital UK will report on its performance and spending annually, alongside the publication of quarterly delivery updates highlighting the progress of Project Gigabit.Through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and its previous iterations, we have issued over 100,000 vouchers worth more than £214 million. Over 73,000 of these vouchers have been used to connect premises to gigabit-capable broadband.

Building Digital UK: Finance

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the running costs of Building Digital UK are; and how many (a) permanent staff and (b) contractors work for Building Digital UK.

Julia Lopez: As of October 2022, Building Digital UK employed 256 people, including 12 contractors.The running costs for Building Digital UK for the 2022-2023 Financial Year (April - March) are forecast to be £39.3 million.

Project Gigabit

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much and what proportion of the funding for Project Gigabit has been allocated in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.

Julia Lopez: Project Gigabit funding for the planned procurements across each nation will be determined following thorough market reviews and using a modelled estimate of the costs involved in providing gigabit coverage.

Project Gigabit

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many properties have been connected to gigabit broadband as a direct result of Project Gigabit funding.

Julia Lopez: We are making excellent progress with Project Gigabit. By the end of March 2022, we had delivered gigabit-capable broadband to 741,000 premises, ahead of our target of 720,000 premises. Combined with commercial gigabit delivery, we remain on track to hit our target of 85 per cent gigabit coverage by 2025.We recently signed our first Project Gigabit contracts in North Dorset and Teesdale, and in total we have launched procurements to connect up to 520,000 premises to date.

Project Gigabit

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is on track to meet its target of ensuring 85 per cent of premises are gigabit capable by 2025.

Julia Lopez: Over 71 per cent of premises are now able to access gigabit-capable broadband, up from 6 per cent in January 2019.We are on track to hit our target of 85 per cent gigabit coverage by 2025. We have published our delivery trajectory to reach our target and Building Digital UK (BDUK) publishes quarterly updates to demonstrate our progress towards this milestone.

Project Gigabit

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to spend the remaining £3.8 billion of Project Gigabit funding.

Julia Lopez: Project Gigabit is a £5 billion programme to deliver gigabit connectivity. £1.2 billion was allocated to Project Gigabit in this Spending Review period, with the remainder available in future years.Through Project Gigabit we are contracting with suppliers to install gigabit-capable broadband networks to hard-to-reach areas of the UK. These contracts will deliver gigabit connectivity in this Spending Review period and beyond. We recently signed our first Project Gigabit contracts in North Dorset and Teesdale, and have launched procurements with a value of over £700 million to date.

Project Gigabit

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of gigabit capable properties in England have more than one choice of fibre-optic broadband provider.

Julia Lopez: According to data from Think Broadband, 5% of premises in England have access to more than one fibre optic provider, 41% have access to one provider, and 72% of premises have access to gigabit-capable broadband from at least one provider when including gigabit-capable coaxial cable technology.

Data Protection and Digital Information Bill

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to progress the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill; and what her policy is on maintaining EU data adequacy.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her speech at Conservative Party Conference 2022, what plans she has to include creation of a British data protection system in the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her speech at Conservative Party Conference 2022, what plans she has to repeal UK GDPR in The Data Protection Act 2018 when creating a British data protection system.

Julia Lopez: The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on Monday 18 July 2022 and following the election of the new leader of the Conservative Party, Ministers are further considering the Bill.We will amend the existing Data Protection and Digital Information Bill and adapt the UK GDPR to create a new bespoke British data protection framework that is business and consumer friendly, and keeps people's personal data secure.We are working with businesses and other stakeholders, at speed, to ensure that the Bill maximises this post-Brexit opportunity, and as mentioned in the Secretary of State’s conference speech, the Bill seeks to retain our data adequacy decision so businesses can trade freely.The DPDI Bill will continue its passage in due course.

Sky Betting and Gaming: Football

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of the number of football clubs in the English Football League operating as affiliates for SkyBet.

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the implications for her policies of EFL football clubs receiving from bookmakers a share of money lost by their fans while betting.

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to prevent football clubs making money from gambling losses.

Damian Collins: Football clubs can enter a wide variety of commercial partnerships but all partnerships with gambling operators must be conducted in a socially responsible fashion and never target children or vulnerable people.Specifically the EFL and its clubs operated an affiliate scheme as part of their partnership with Sky Bet from 2013 to the 2019/20 season. The scheme has not been active since the 2019/20 season and the Department does not hold detailed estimates of club revenues.The current impact of gambling sponsorship in sports is in scope of the government's wide-ranging Review of the Gambling Act. We are considering the evidence closely and a white paper setting out our conclusions and next steps will be published in the coming weeks.